


All For an Equal Ex-change

by Kellarhi



Category: Miraculous Ladybug
Genre: Cheesecake, Cookies & Camembert, Other, Plagg Cares, Plagg is a Little Shit, Season/Series 03, potential S3 spoilers, rogue Akuma, rogue kwami, summer santa
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-07-09
Updated: 2019-07-14
Packaged: 2020-06-25 10:44:14
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 9
Words: 23,943
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/19744087
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Kellarhi/pseuds/Kellarhi
Summary: A distraught mother accepts help from Paris' number one villain to solve her problems. Throwing caution to the wind, Ladybug and Chat are caught off guard when they're hit by her powers to make everyone see her point of view.  Swapped bodies?  Swapped Kwami bodies?? This was way outside the norm even for a superhero!  Now, Ladybug, Chat Noir, and their Kwami friends must work together (and get past the unfamiliarity of new bodies) to save Paris before there is no one left to oppose this latest threat.Potential Season 3 "spoilers" based on speculation of leaked information—canon divergence with the most recent episodes.





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

  * For [whimstories](https://archiveofourown.org/users/whimstories/gifts).



> Rated Teen for "language" and content, though this is pretty tame.  
> Story written for dear sweet @Whimstories for our Discord Channel's "Summer Santa" exchange. Make sure you go and read her work if you've not done so already!!
> 
> Big thank you for Beta help, encouragement, and ideas from @randohopelessromantic, @Remasa,  @overworkedunderwhelmed, and (of course) my other Discord buddies. 
> 
> Also, big thanks to the Miraculous Fandom for being such a creative and lively bunch <3 Hope y'all enjoy my first fic =)

The morning was bright, full of blue skies and fluffy clouds that floated softly above the Paris skyline. The city came alive on warm days like today and many people happily bustled through the city's streets coffee or pastry in hand as they rushed around, starting their day on a good note. It was the type of morning one reads about in love stories, and fairytales, and if anyone was judging the city based on the weather, they would have assumed the day would be perfect. And it _might_ have been one of those perfectly peaceful days, had it not been for the woman crouched near a building in tears.

“I am Hawkmoth,” came a silky voice through the haze of frustration and anger she’d been feeling. “And you are now Equalizer. Life isn’t fair, and you know that better than anyone.” The woman lifted her chin defiantly, tears still fresh in her eyes. 

“You’ve been wronged and painted in an unfair light. If you could just share a bit of yourself with everyone the world would be a better place. I can help you with that AND give you the power to convince others to share your point of view. If they only knew the things _you_ did, they would see that there is a much better—much fairer way to live in this world. A world where _everyone_ can be equal... where hard work and integrity pay off—not a place where deadbeats can manipulate, lie, or bully others to get their way. You can create fairness and equality; where no one has to feel this despair you are harbouring. But, in exchange for sharing a piece of yourself with everyone, I’ll need something from you in return: the Ladybug and Black Cat Miraculous. Do we have a deal?”

She stood from where she’d been crouched to the ground, and hurriedly shoved a child's toy into the handbag she carried. This was an opportunity she couldn't pass up—she'd already exhausted her other options. The custody battle had gotten down right nasty. Her ex, who had previously agreed to shared custody, was now pushing for full custody. The lawyer argued that because August was in her care when he was akumatized, not once but twice, that she was an unfit mother. Not to mention during a court appointed wellness visit her apartment was infested with pigeons! She couldn’t control that blasted birdman and his sky-rats any more than she could control HawkMoth! She was tired of fighting against others. They were going to start working _with_ her! 

The thought of having August taken away from her meant she had nothing left to lose. But she could fix all of that. She could make it so _nobody_ would threaten to take her beloved baby away from her _ever_ again. August’s father would be forced to see that he was wrong in how he'd treated her in this despicable custody battle. A determined, yet almost sinister look crossed her face.

“Yes Hawkmoth. I know I can get them to see things my way.”

\-------------------------------------

Marinette was seated outside on a balcony with her best friend, shaded by a table umbrella at a cafe at the Louvre. The fresh air outside was a welcome change from the almost oppressive air from the hundreds of bodies inside the museum. They'd spent the last several hours walking through various exhibits examining countless statues, and had just finished looking at the Mona Lisa before deciding to take a small break. She and Alya were enjoying a small treat from the cafe, while going over some ideas that they had jotted down in their notebooks during their tour.

Several classes from Francois Dupont High School were visiting the Louvre as part of a year end field trip aimed at cultural awareness and art history. Today was supposed to be a fun and simple day to help the students of the class choose a topic for discussion. They were expected to take inspiration from the beautiful art pieces on display and (with or without a partner) create a small class project, due before the end of the school year. Most of the students in her class were happy just to be out of the classroom and were treating it as a free day, devoid of learning. But Marinette missed enough class as it was thanks to her super hero duties; she decided she would put in extra effort regardless of how many times they’d all visited the museum.

"You know, it's a little strange to be here with the whole class. I can't believe they're letting us walk around basically unsupervised," Alya said with a hint of mischief in her voice. "I'm all for art and that kind of thing but really I was kinda thinking we could cut class for a bit before we're supposed to head back to the school. I _have_ been meaning to beat my high score on Super Penguino."

"Alya!" Marinette looked positively scandalized, quickly craning her neck to peek over her friend's shoulders and swiveling around to make sure nobody had heard. "You can't say stuff like that! How would it look if we were trusted to be responsible but we were caught skiving off?"

"Oh relaaaaaax girl, you know I was just teasing you—you just look way too serious over here, poking through your notes like that."

Marinette managed a sheepish grin. "Fair enough. So, have you come up with an idea yet?"

"Actually, I was kind of drawn to those muscular statues inside the Roman exhibit. Mannn they were ripped!” Alya’s expression slipped into something much softer as her eyes glazed over with a dreamy look. “If _they_ were around today, I’d bet they’d be _so_ handsome... what about you?"

"Well, I'm still thinking about _him_... IT, I mean it!" Alya bringing up handsome ripped Romans had conjured her favorite muse Adrien, and Marinette began blushing profusely from being caught. "Sooo yeah, I haven't decided just yet." She giggled nervously. 

"Mmhmmm..." Alya grinned around the rim of the small cup of coffee as she took a sip.

"It really IS a great day to be outside of school though," Marinette tried to change the subject. "I love the view from this balcony. I've never been lucky enough to sit up here on the other trips Maman and Papa took me on." 

Alya grunted noncommittally as she busied herself with her phone, while Marinette looked out over the courtyard and pyramid entrance to the museum. Sunlight glinted off the glass surface, casting bright rays across the stonework as people milled around; they reminded her of busy worker ants as they scuttled. 

Closer to her though, was a small group of twelve to fifteen people gathered around a single person. Marinette really only noticed because everyone else seemed to be busy, whereas this small group stood stationary. The person talking to them wore a well cut business suit in jet black—highly fashionable, save for the large, pointed shoulder pads jutting out on either side of her body—and had large, rounded sunglasses that obscured about half her face. Her golden brown hair tumbled across her shoulders in beachy waves, and she carried an almost clownishly large bag over one shoulder. 

Marinette's eyes narrowed as she observed the interaction. She could see the woman's mouth clearly moving, so the lady was talking to the small group. A nearby tourist with their head buried in their phone accidentally walked right into the woman. They looked up in irritation as if the woman had interrupted something they were doing, before returning to their phone and attempting to continue walking around the small group. Marinette watched as the strangely dressed lady lifted what looked like a cartoon alien ray gun out of the bag hanging at her side and shot the person point blank! 

Barely holding in her gasp, Marinette saw the person slouch momentarily before standing tall and reaching a hand out to pat the woman's pointy shoulder pad. The woman reached out in return, patting the cheek of the person she'd just shot, and the brainwashed person joined the small crowd that had been gathering. There was no mistaking now that this woman was an Akuma.

"Uhhmmm Alya, I have to gotothebathroomkaydon'twaitformecatchyoulater!" Marinette scrambled up, almost knocking her chair over in a mad rush for what Alya probably thought was a bathroom emergency. 

"Kay girl, bye...?" Alya replied to thin air. Marinette was long gone. 

\-------------------------------------

Moments later, Ladybug appeared on a roof close to where the small crowd had gathered. Her communicator slid open, and she left a voice message for her partner to let him know what was up. This Akuma was low key from what she could tell. There wasn't any large scale destruction and people weren't running away screaming. There likely wouldn't even be an Akuma alert issued until someone spotted the heroes engaged and fighting. She hoped this would be quick because it really was too nice of a day to waste in battle. Ladybug swung up to the group and landed softly behind them. 

"Hello there, citizen, might I have a word with you?" Authority oozed from every syllable, and the small crowd parted to look towards the voice addressing their leader.

"Just the Lady I was hoping to speak with. You're more than welcome to join this get together I'm hosting! But, where are my manners? We all know who _you_ are…” the Akuma said with an ingratiating smile, “...so let me introduce myself. I'm Equalizer, and I'm looking to lead Paris into a brighter, new future. One where citizens can feel safe, heard, and valued. One where there is no more fighting, because everyone is equal and everyone agrees. I need your Miraculous to do that."

"Sorry, that's just not something I'm willing to _entertain_." Dozens of eyes turned to look at her, and not one face held a fond expression. 

Chat suddenly dropped in next to her. "Sorry I'm late m'lady, what're we... dealing with..?" Disgusted faces turned from her to him; he eyed them warily, belated realizing he’d dropped directly into a hostile situation.

"Hello, Chat Noir, this involves you too." The Akumatized woman bit out sharply, clearly not pleased that she was going to have to persuade Ladybug to cooperate. "It would be nice if you could convince your lady friend here, that your Miraculous would serve a much greater purpose in my hands." 

Smirking, Chat Noir extended his baton like a staff, laying one hand atop the other and resting his chin on them. "Handing our Miraculous over to you on a silver platter would definitely leave a bad taste in our mouths. You should give up before you _bite_ off more than you can chew!" He looked dreadfully pleased with himself, while Ladybug just groaned under her breath. 

Equalizer just tsked. "I was afraid you'd say something like that, but really, you don’t have much choice in the matter. If my compatriots agree with me—and they do—you'll be handing over your Miraculous soon anyways."

She hadn’t even finished talking before hands desperately sought out the objects Equalizer desired, clawing for Ladybug’s earrings, and tugging at Chat Noir’s hands. The heroes ducked under outstretched arms, and found themselves backed against a nearby wall. Ladybug started her signature yo-yo defensive spin, but someone grabbed her wrist; she yanked her arm back quickly to break their hold.

Chat extended his baton up and easily dropped over the outside of the group; however, the frenzied mob hadn't lost their focus on his lady... snatching at her between frantic utterings of ‘listen to reason’ and ‘it’ll all be over soon’.

A dull ‘THUD’ sounded as Chat used his baton to sweep between the legs of someone at the outermost edge of the mob, and they tumbled over. He rushed in to take their place, his hand outstretched to Ladybug in desperation. His fingertips brushed hers and she called out for him—"Chat!"—but her smaller stature was quickly swallowed between shoulders and the height of people that were pressing in around her. 

"LADYBUG!!" he shouted in reply as he fought the tide of bodies that dragged them apart, and threatened to overcome her like waves in an ocean. His baton clicked into place at the base of his back so he could use the force of both hands to break a path to her between the bodies. Neither of them had paid attention to the Akuma who, by this point, had snuck around behind _him_. 

Equalizer pointed her ray gun, and shot Chat square between the shoulder blades.

Chat Noir slumped, falling limply against the throng that was pushing towards Ladybug. 

Not keen on missing an opportunity, the Akuma reached out towards the hand which held his Miraculous ring. Within seconds, Chat’s eyes fluttered as his body struggled to regain full consciousness. He was revived but clearly dazed, gingerly pushing up and away from the person he’d landed on with a groan. Ladybug managed to flick out her yo-yo, wrapping the weapon around the Akuma's outstretched arm mere moments before Equalizer could make contact. She hauled the Akuma's hand away from her partner; his Miraculous began to shriek uncontrollably. 

"Get away from him!!" Ladybug’s voice was clear yet anxious behind the wall of bodies. Chat turned to the sound, catching her horrified expression as he stared at her wide-eyed. He followed Ladybug’s gaze and the yo-yo cord to where it ended around the wrist of the Akuma. The only thing that prevented Equalizer from reaching him was that thin yo-yo cord, which had restrained the Akuma’s arm across her body. 

Chat’s head swiveled to take in his surroundings as he grabbed his baton once more. In a burst of desperation, he reached through the crowd and narrowly grabbed Ladybug by her forearm; they locked grasps. He planted his baton firmly on the ground and extended it immediately. They quickly rose above the crowd, but the Akuma had recovered her balance and fired a few shots in quick succession after the retreating heroes. 

Suddenly, Ladybug’s fingers went slack and Chat instinctively tightened his grasp on her forearm just as gravity threatened to pull her to Earth. He chanced a brief look down to her face; her eyes were closed as if she was asleep, and her long lashes added an air of angelic serenity to the hellish scenario they were actually in. Straining, he continued upward to the relative safety of the closest rooftop.

It was unprecedented. They hadn’t even engaged the Akuma but were both already almost entirely incapacitated. A bright pink glow outlined the Akuma’s face as they retreated, but aside from the freakishly cartoonish ray gun in her bag, nothing about Equalizer made her seem threatening. There was no neon colored costume, and she wasn't an overgrown behemoth—she hadn't sprouted wings, and she wasn't floating around on a giant cloud. Aside from the shoulder pads, there truly wasn't much about her that would have stood out in a normal crowd. This type of villain could easily overrun Paris without batting her lashes, quietly taking the city by storm. 

Chat Noir touched down on the roof attached to the wall they’d just been backed against, and cradled Ladybug gently. When her eyes began to flutter open with consciousness, her earrings began incessantly chirping to signal that her transformation was about to drop, matching the sound of Chat Noir’s ring. Gasping suddenly, she took a startled look around herself before her eyes landed on Chat Noir and he released her from his hold, taking a quick step back. 

“L... Ladybug? Are... are you okay?” Chat Noir began, reaching out to her before stopping with a flinch. “I have to go... YOU have to go... our timers?” he started lamely, but suddenly stopped trying to explain and decided to just run instead. He leapt over the chasm between the roof on the west side of the building and scampered away, clearly to escape from revealing himself unintentionally.

“What just happened??” Ladybug vocalized before she crawled over to the ledge of the roof she’d just woken on, trying to ignore the warning beeps that were getting ever faster. Peering over the edge, she saw the Akuma, and a small angry looking mob of people gazing upwards. 

One look—combined with the screaming earrings—was enough to goad her into running, and she bolted in the opposite direction that Chat Noir had. With a flick of her wrist, her yo-yo shot out and she sailed across the skyline until safe enough to inconspicuously drop into a narrow alleyway. The transformation finally gave out, and the magical red Kwami supplying her with powers came spiraling out of the earrings... landing hard on the cold stone of the dirty ground. She bent over and picked up the poor exhausted body of the Kwami that was at feet, horror etched across every inch of her expression.

Where ‘Ladybug’ once stood was an otherwise normal looking girl... but “Marinette” felt anything _but_ normal. There was a panicked (and unmistakably troubled) look on the face of the young teen. “Wake up... please? Please wake up!! Are you okay?” 

The little red sprite groaned and sat up, pitifully. “Wh... what happened? Where am I?” 

“OH thank goodness. Listen—it’s going to be okay, don’t freak out. I don’t know what happened but, we’re going to fix this, I promise.”

“What do you...” the words trailed off as realization crossed the tiny features of the little god—her already large eyes became preposterously bigger. 

“Tikki????" the tiny red being screeched up at the face she was used to seeing in the mirror everyday. Dread settled into the pit of her stomach…

She was Marinette Dupain-Cheng... owner of the Ladybug Miraculous... and she was currently trapped inside the body of the magical being that gave her super powers.


	2. Chapter 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Big thank you for Beta help, encouragement, and ideas from @randohopelessromantic, @Remasa,  @overworkedunderwhelmed, and (of course) my other Discord buddies. 

The blond haired boy lounged lazily against a stack of dilapidated crates inside an abandoned warehouse. A small, angry, black ball of fluff (that resembled a kitten) was perched on his knee, embroiled in a stare down with him. The boy was nonplussed.

“WHAT do you MEAN you don’t know what happened?? And WHY am I so hungry??” The black cat yeowled up at the teen, who had a look on his face that was half bewildered, and half amused; he snorted.

“Look kid, your guess is as good as mine,” the blond figure replied to the angry cat-god. “I’m in your body, you’re in mine. But at least you know how I feel now. You always complain about how much I eat, but now that the shoe is on the other foot, how are you feeling?” 

Adrien— _Adrikwami—_ just glared up at the body he normally inhabited, not trusting himself to say anything nice.

“What’s the last thing you remember?” Plagg— _Plaggdrien_ , since he was now in Adrien’s body— asked, his large green eyes bored into small green ones. 

“Well, everyone had surrounded my Lady, and I was struggling to get to her. Then, the next thing I know, I was sitting in the palm of your... my? ...Hand. Where’s Ladybug? Oh my god, how did I screw this up?” The little black figure managed to look even more pitiful.

Plaggdrien eyed his friend and holder curiously. “She’s fine, I made sure of it. She had to do the mad dash before transforming also, but I think at this point we need to recuperate a little before trying to go after that Akuma. That Akuma is... different... than anything we’ve encountered before.”

“Plagg, what is going on? How did Hawkmoth do this? I’m... I’m you. I’m YOU! YOU’RE ME... What are we supposed to do??? What if my father finds out! Oh god, I think I’m going to be sick...”

Plaggdrien threw him a small, sympathetic smile and reached over to scratch the little Kwami’s head. 

“What are you doing—stop that!” Adrikwami batted at the hand reaching for his head, to no avail. Plaggdrien just continued the assault and Adrikwami quickly stopped struggling and began a small rumbling purr.

“Better, see?” Plaggdrien offered. “You really need to calm down though, this isn’t good for you. I think the first thing we should do is relax, kid. Yes, there’s an Akuma running around out there, but honestly, the fact that it didn’t come after us when we retreated leads me to believe that this is just another one of Hawkmoth’s temper-tantrum Akumas that isn’t _really_ much threat.” The words almost sounded convincing, but the reality was, he wasn’t quite sure what he thought yet.

Plaggdrien lowered his hand, a thoughtful look crossing his face. “Hawkmoth’s been a little lackluster lately, so this is actually pretty baffling. How that Akuma managed... _this_... is beyond my understanding.”

Adrikwami’s eyes turned panicked once more and he began ranting. “Well what are we waiting for? We should be going after them. We have to find Ladybug, she can use her Miraculous Cure and fix this. If we just find the Akuma—” 

“Okay slow down.” Plaggdrien’s face turned serious as he tried to help Adrikwami understand their situation. “After you got knocked out by what I _assume_ was the Akuma’s power, it was probably no more than a few seconds from when you were hit before I found myself in your body.” He sat up straighter as he continued.

“When that happened, your Miraculous started beeping for transformation, and I woke up in a throng of people trying to get Ladybug. I reached through and grabbed her hand to yank her to safety, but she got hit as well. When _she_ came to, _her_ Miraculous started beeping like crazy too. I don’t think we’re meant to run around using _you_ as the “Kwami” to power the transformations. I don’t think it’s entirely safe.” Plaggdrien had a severe frown on his face.

“Those timers are basically tied to how much endurance we have while helping to power the Miraculous. If they were beeping the moment you were swapped with me, I worry about putting you in that situation again _intentionally_.” He leaned back against a crate in thought again… “However, when I need energy, and need to recharge, you know what I do...?”

Plaggdrien reached into his shirt pocket where, sure enough, several pieces of Camembert were stashed. “My sweet lovely... this pains me so much.” He murmured adoration to his cheese before holding it out stiffly to Adrikwami. "Eat up, boy. We’re going to need your strength so we can meet up with Ladybug...”

A look of utter disgust crossed Adrikwami’s face at the mere suggestion. “OH wow, yeah, no... I think I’d rather not.”

“You want to rescue your lady, don’t you...?” Plaggdrien’s eyes glinted with both mischief and annoyance. On one hand, it was a little funny to see Adrien within his body refusing the snack just because he couldn’t stand the cheese. On the other, it was such a crying shame. That delicious cheese... wasted, on an ungrateful human.

**\-------------------------------------**

“Please Marinette, I know this looks bad, but honestly, I can think of worse. We still have the Miraculous. Hawkmoth didn’t get those.” Tikkinette’s voice was laced with concern.

“Oh god, Tikki! What if... what if we _aren’t_ able to defeat the Akuma and Hawkmoth takes the Miraculous? Will I be stuck here as a Kwami? I’ll never get to know Adrien then! I’ll never go on a date with him, or have his children, or even get a pet hamster!! THIS IS AWFUL!!” Marikwami collapsed, face down, in Tikkinette’s hand.

Tikkinette tried not to roll her eyes at Marikwami’s clear hyperbole, but it was hard to dissuade Marinette once she started in on any idea. “Marinette, instead of worrying about what we can’t do, we need to focus on what CAN be done.” Her large blue eyes were imploring.

“We need to start thinking of a plan—we _can_ do this, _together_. There are four of us—more if you count master Fu and the other Kwami—and we are sure to think of something to combat this new Akuma victim. It may be the first time we've been in this particular situation, but we've handled some really strange situations over the last year..." Tikkinette breathed out a patient sigh.

At the mention of strange situations, Marikwami stilled. Her face would have turned scarlet with embarrassment if she wasn't already red from head to toe as she thought back to the photograph Alya had taken on the roof of the Montparnasse tower recently. She still wasn't sure how they'd won that battle with Oblivio, but they'd done it without remembering anything. Maybe her luck could guide them out of this situation as well?

“We can fix this, right Tikki? Right?” The little red bug felt like she was asking her Kwami _and_ herself at the same time. 

“Marinette, we can definitely fix things, I’m just not sure _how_ yet. Our _last_ resort should be to take on the Akuma like this—with our bodies switched—so we really should try to put things back to normal first. If we aren’t able to return to our rightful bodies… well, I guess we’ll just purify the Akuma and everything will go back the way it was. Well, I _think_ it will, anyways...”

“But how did we end up in one another’s body? From the little I gathered while watching, her power seemed to compel others to _take her side_. Did you see that crowd? Even after watching for just a moment, it seemed like they had been hanging on her every word. How did that turn into... well, turn into this?” Frustration and fear had created unshed tears in Marikwami’s eyes.

“Again Marinette, I’m not sure. Nothing like this has ever happened before—at least with me. We need to speak to the Guardian. Maybe he will have some insight, because I am at a loss.” 

Tikkinette slowly lifted the hand Marikwami was on, urging the little Kwami to snuggle close on her shoulder instead. Marikwami hopped off and perched there, the stricken look not yet gone from her eyes.

“What I _do_ know is that this is odd for Hawkmoth,” Tikkinette voiced out loud. “He’s so flashy most of the time. Even that outfit was hard to link to any of his typically hideous Akuma designs.” She stuck her tongue out in distaste... it actually made Marikwami giggle a little.

“What about Chat Noir? He’s still out there too. Is the same thing happening to him?” Marikwami asked, suddenly worried for her partner.

“Yes, I’m fairly certain. When I came to, he was setting me down on the rooftop and told me to run…” her brow furrowed. “Thinking about it now, I heard _both_ sets of Miraculous beeping wildly. I’m pretty sure Plagg has swapped bodies with Chat.” Tikkinette’s eyes widened in realization. 

“Actually, about that…” she continued, “I think you’re gonna need to recharge—from my personal experience.” Tikkinette looked down to the small purse she was used to hiding in, pulled out a large, freshly baked cookie, and handed it over to Marikwami. “So, after this, maybe we can try transforming again to see what happens…” 

Marikwami took the cookie and began eating it earnestly. “Do you think it’s wise to transform again, Tikki?” She managed to ask between large bites… she’d never realized how big Tikki’s mouth was until now.

“Should be okay? Assuming transforming works to begin with.” Tikkinette’s eyes narrowed as she thought about the minutes since she’d found herself in Marinette’s body. “After the Akuma struck, the earrings were already beeping to signal that we were about to detransform. But I don’t know _what_ could be worse than having our consciousness swapped, so we should definitely try it.“ Tikkinette gave an almost imperceptible shrug.

“Tikki?” Marikwami had a far-off look in her eye. “There’s no way we can _all_ go to the Guardian and talk right now... that would expose our identities to one another.” She turned to look upward at her friend, voicing her thoughts out loud. “And, if we go transformed, it might draw unnecessary attention if someone saw Chat or Ladybug headed to Master Fu’s—everyone that has been influenced by Equalizer is going to be looking out for us.”

Her little red face was pinched up in concentration. “....but, they _won’t_ be looking for a little red bug or black cat, so I think that’s our best chance.” Her eyes narrowed and her expression transformed to one of determination. “He’s going to have to learn where the Guardian is, but I need Chat Noir with me… we need to talk to Chat, now.”

“Marinette, I trust your judgement, but remember there’s a reason we’ve never included Chat in these visits to Fu before.” Tikkinette started meekly, but she was cut off by the small voice of her holder. 

“There are circumstances at work that we just don’t understand right now, and ‘desperate times call for desperate measures’, as they say.” Marikwami flew up, stopping when she was floating eye height with Tikkinette. “I _trust_ Chat Noir, and I am willing to take the chance. If I’m ever compromised in the future, we’re going to need him to step up... and the only way he can really do that is if he knows how to reach Master Fu for help.”

Tikkinette paused in thought for an additional moment. “That _does_ seem to be the most logical next step, I suppose. Then, are you ready, Marinette?” 

A little red head bobbed in affirmation.

“Spots on?” Tikkinette said, the statement sounding exactly like a question. 

A wash of pink light engulfed her as she transformed—Tikki was left breathless and amazed, finding herself encompassed in the shell that was Ladybug. “Wow... so that’s what it feels like...” she mumbled to herself. 

Suddenly her earrings chirped... it wasn’t the continuous pleading sound she’d heard earlier, but it was a warning none the less. 

She stood up tall. As magical as it was to experience the transformation into Ladybug, she _was_ a little disappointed—she’d been holding out a little hope that just tapping in to the Miraculous transformation would be enough to jolt their consciousness back to their proper bodies. It hadn’t worked, but that didn’t change her plan at all. The fact that she could transform at all meant that some of the magic of the Miraculous was still intact, so she was grateful for that at least.

With a grim look of determination, Tikki took out the yo-yo. She stared at it for a moment, thinking that she’d need to get a hold of Plagg and Adrien. The yo-yo turned communicator and slid upwards when she gently touched a finger to it—as if by magic. 

She was amused to see an icon with a picture of Chat Noir, and was just about to touch the image when the line started ringing.

She answered it immediately, and a small smirk tugged at the corners of his mouth when his face filled her screen. “Well hellooooo Sugarcube…” he drawled in a most saccharine manner. “Long time, no _chat_...”

“Plagg—this is no time for any of that. How is your chosen doing?”

“Meh. He took the news about as well as could be expected. Yours?”

“I think she’s still in Ladybug mode, but that might not last for long; however, she already came up with a plan. We have no real idea about how we’re supposed to defeat the Akuma when it seems like we won’t even be able to stay in superhero form. So, our best shot is probably going to be talking to the Guardian...” Tikkibug looked a little worried as she said it.

“How exactly do you propose we accomplish that? I’m already beeping—“ he confirmed her fear, “...and I’m not sure these two are exactly ready to confront each other, Sweetness.”

Tikkibug rolled her eyes. “To avoid as much drama as possible, the two of them should probably head to see the Guardian _by_ _themselves_. We should have them meet nearby so she can show him the way, and the two of us should continue as civilians with the rest of their class. When they are done talking to Fu, they can meet us at home around lunch time...” 

PlaggNoir’s jaw visibly dropped. “ _My_ kitten’s being included in the big kid’s club? Is the sky falling—better yet, is the moon ACTUALLY made of cheese? Oh wonder of wonders!” 

Tikkibug scowled at him “OH will you stop, this is serious!!” She hissed in annoyance. Her earrings beeped again as if to punctuate the severity of their situation. “I don’t know what staying charged up as Ladybug will do to my holder; KAMI help me if you’re wasting time right now and it’s harming our chosen!”

He looked suitably chastised.

Convinced he would actually listen now, Tikkibug hurried on. “We all need to lay low and be inconspicuous. As human teenagers, _we_ won’t be on anyone’s immediate radar. We should be relatively safe until we get a better idea of how to fix this after the kids talk to Fu, but we can’t let our guard down. I’m... unsure how this Equalizer’s power worked against us, but I really don’t want to get blasted again with it—especially without the super suit to deflect any of the attack.”

The look on her face softened as she thought back to the moment that they’d been hit with the strange ray gun. “It was the strangest thing, Plagg... I _felt_ her attack Ladybug... there was an enormous energy surge. I think I reflexively tried to block it...."

"Huh..." he said in response. "That basically sums up what I felt too. It felt weird, right? Like she was trying to put _something_ ‘into’ Chat Noir... I instinctively pushed back, and the next thing you know, here we are. Do you think we are partially responsible for this?" For once, the look on his face was not full of ridicule... there was worry there. 

"If by responsible you mean we impulsively fought back?” she sighed deeply. “I guess so... I am actually more scared to think of what might have happened had her attack succeeded as intended.” 

Tikkibug nibbled on her lower lip for a moment before continuing. ”Let's just focus on getting things back to normal. We can meet them at home after school is dismissed and they're done talking to the Guardian. Let’s hope we can get this resolved before anyone gets seriously hurt... or worse." 

She sighed again, long and loud. "I'll admit, I am a bit worried though, Plagg. What’re we supposed to do without any Miraculous powers?” Her face was strained... he'd never seen her with an expression so distressed before.

PlaggNoir’s response was immediate, and sincere. “Have they ever let us down before—our holders? They are really something special, Teek.” He thought about every time the two teenagers had overcome crazy obstacles. “I know you’re used to having an idea of what to expect because things naturally tend to fall in place where _you're_ concerned, but take it from me—the guy that knows about chaos. There is always a solution—and there is always a happy ending—with you. It’ll turn out okay, it never hasn’t.”

She smiled worriedly over the communicator, trying to believe his words, but she’d never felt so out of control. He was right about one thing, though.... they’d never let anyone down before.

“Thank you, Plagg.”

“Yeah yeah...” came the snide reply from PlaggNoir. “Do you think we can hold this Akuma off for awhile? I’ve been thinking. There’s a lot of stuff I can do if—” 

“PLAGG!” she nearly shouted. “Just... go. Protect him as best you can, and for the love of all that is Kwami... _don’t_ get discovered. The last thing we need is for anyone to think Adrien is acting strange and give Hawkmoth an edge.”

“REEEElaaaaxxx. ‘ _I got this in the bag’_ , as Chat would say... heh…” he grinned, thinking about his chosen. “Leave it to me. Where should we have the lovebirds meet?”

“What about the far end of the courtyard—away from the museum entrance? There are a lot of bushes near the Arc de Triomphe du Carrousel? The Arc itself should be enough to keep people’s attention diverted...” Tikkibug suggested, hoping the tourists and locals alike would be way more interested in the landmarks than the landscape. 

“Roger that. I’ll get out of your adorable pigtails, and await further instructions. Anything else, GumDrop?” he smiled oh too sweetly.

“Oh, will you stop??” She nearly snorted into the communicator. She could hear peals of laughter on the other side as she clicked it shut with a huff.

With a small sigh of relief, she called “Spots off”. Marikwami was released from the transformation and came to rest mid air beside her.

“How did it go?”

“About as well as I anticipated,” Tikkinette began, reaching into the purse to grab another cookie for Marikwami. “They know the plan. I just hope their luck holds out, and nothing too crazy happens.” 

They shared a knowing look, and Marikwami took the treat to recharge her energy.

“Good luck, Marinette...” Tikkinette said, looking pitifully at her small charge, who still managed a bright smile. 

“You too, Tikki. I’ll be home soon."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> PHEW!! I hope that didn't get too confusing! I had a lot of help trying to reign in the names and make them all consistent through the story. Writing for clarity was hard, but I did my best and I hope it isn't jarring to you. 
> 
> I did my best to try and differentiate between the different characters by using a combo name:
> 
> Plagg inside of Adrien's body became Plaggdrien.  
> Tikki inside of Marinette's body became Tikkinette.  
> Marinette inside of Tikki's body became Marikwami.  
> Adrien inside of Plagg's body became Adrikwami.


	3. Chapter 3

Marikwami had never been more petrified in her life. Of all the dangers she’d faced in the year plus as Ladybug, nothing had prepared her for how vulnerable and small she felt in this moment. 

Sneaking in and around various sculptures and bushes—hovering close to the surrounding walls and columns of the Place du Carrousel, she made her way over to the meeting point, hoping nobody would catch the garish red of her new body in the bright morning sun. It mortifyingly reminded her of a dream she’d had once, where she’d snuck around a strange town—wearing nothing but a cardboard box—while trying to avoid attention…

She reached what she supposed would be their meeting spot, and settled in towards the bottom of a bush to await Chat Noir. Across the plaza, Marikwami’s eyes widened as she spotted Adrien crossing. She absently wondered why he wasn’t inside the museum with the rest of the group, but a rustle garnered her attention. She looked up and was able to see two bright green eyes peering through the foliage…

“My lady??” He started, unsure. 

“Hello kitty,” she greeted back, with a timid smile. He was by her side in a nanosecond, sweeping her into a huge hug with his little nubby arms. “I was so worried about you, I can’t believe this happened... are you alright?” 

She giggled. “I’m finnnnee Chat. But we need to work on fixing this, pronto. Not that I don’t trust her, but having my Kwami run around Paris pretending to be me...?” she didn’t finish her sentence, but the horrified look on his face said enough for the both of them; he gulped loudly.

“Are you ready to meet Master Fu?” Marikwami asked gently. 

“Actually... we’ve met—remember, he gave me Plagg’s new transformation food. But, this is my first time going to his home.”

“Ah—right!” She replied. “So well... let’s do this as stealthily as possible. What do you think about the Kwami ability to phase through objects?”

**\-------------------------------------**

It took close to an hour for the two Kwami to arrive to Fu’s shop, but they had been overly safe in their travels. They elected to traverse the multitude of subway systems through the underground of Paris—sneaking into subway cars and riding under the seats at the back of each train car; phasing silently into the space _between_ cars at the few stops they’d had to transfer at; and then skulked through alleys the remainder of the way. 

After their harried trip through the final side streets, the two teens-turned-Kwami phased through the outside and into the main waiting area of Fu’s establishment. In a squeaky, hissed whisper, Marikwami called out... “Master Fu????”

In the other room, Fu and Wayzz were sitting, watching a small tv in the corner. 

“Master... did you hear something?” The little green turtle Kwami looked up questioningly at Master Fu. 

A little louder, she called again from the entryway. Fu rose, and hurried towards the entrance as fast as his short legs could carry him. 

"Ma... mmmyyyy goodness, what happened? Ladybug? Chat Noir?" Fu wore a look of complete shock as he took in the small forms of the two Parisian heroes. Marikwami was equally shocked that he’d recognized them immediately as Ladybug and Chat instead of the Kwami they resembled.

Wayzz’s eyes darted between the two—amazement and disbelief carved through his normally serene features. His little kwami nubs landed on each of their shoulders as a gesture of comfort.

Adrikwami looked curiously at the green turtle floating in front of him. He knew there were other Kwami’s, but he really hadn’t had a chance to meet them until this point. “Hello...” he greeted Wayzz dumbly before looking up and muttering “Hi again,” to Master Fu.

“Chat Noir. Welcome to our home.” Fu said kindly. His gaze darted to Marikwami for the briefest of moments, but then moved back to the little black Kwami. “I had always imagined something much different than this when I pictured you arriving to see us here for the first time. Please, do hurry and come inside. This does not look to be a good situation at all.”

He turned from the entryway and trekked back into the main common area, where small pillows were arranged on the floor—the three small beings floating silently behind him. Fu sat down, trying to appear more calm than he felt in the moment.

“So. Ladybug. Please tell us what transpired and what has apparently put your spirit into the body of Tikki, and his into the body of Plagg.”

"Oh Master Fu, I don't know _what's_ happened!! The Akuma hit him,” she gesticulated wildly towards the black cat beside her, “...as he was trying to rescue _me_ from a small mob of people that the Akuma had apparently turned to her will? Chat was out for maybe a second, and when he came to, he tried to lift me to safety... I was hit then too, apparently.” Her little red face was animated, and her voice rose in volume as she continued explaining. 

“Now, our Kwami’s are in our bodies, and we’re in theirs, and our timers keep going off any time we combine to create Ladybug and Chat Noir. As such, we really don’t even think we’re able to call up a Lucky Charm or Cataclysm...” Her little body moved more erratically in the air as she became more worked up. 

“I'm not sure how we're going to get out of this without powers... and what if someone finds out... and what if we can't beat—"

"Ladybug?" Master Fu interrupted the frenzied stream of thought erupting from her mouth. 

"Please, have a seat. Would you like some tea to settle your nerves? How about you, Chat Noir?”

Marikwami wasn’t sure that ‘tea’ was going to help this situation, but she nodded tersely, and followed Wayzz on his way over to a large cushion beside the place Fu was sitting. 

“Xièxiè lǎoshī...” Adrikwami responded politely with a small incline of his bulbous head. 

Marikwami turned to look at her crime-fighting partner who had been, up to now, surprisingly silent the entire time. Something in how Chat Noir had just whipped out a thank you to Master Fu was tickling the back of her memory, but it was far too unimportant to think about just now. 

Fu rose and exited the room briefly to get the promised drinks for them.

"So, erm, Ladybug... you and Chat Noir left your Kwamis within your bodies to come see us—do you think that was wise? You _do_ understand that Plagg is not known for his... sense of propriety. And Tikki is distracted by sweet things like no other being has ever been. I might have considered reaching out to us in another way..." Wayzz began, immediately adding another layer of stress and panic; who knew what trouble they could get into while unsupervised...

"Well, Tikki and Plagg are... wait, how old are they, really?" she looked first to Chat Noir, then to Wayzz…

"I always assumed they're basically as old as time itself?" Adrikwami suggested with a shrug.

"That's basically about right," Wayzz confirmed.

"Well, considering their age, I have confidence that they will act reasonably well. My Kwami has spent enough time talking about my civilian life that I am positive she knows enough to get through the next few hours without us."

Adrikwami didn't look so confident. "The only thing Plagg really cares about is cheese. This might be the end of my being Chat Noir if he can't reasonably keep his instincts to himself."

Seeing the look on his face, Marikwami broke the uncomfortable silence that had fallen with a new set of questions. "Wayzz...? Tikki said nothing like this has ever happened before. Is that true to your knowledge? Can we get back to normal without defeating the Akuma? How do you think the Akuma managed this?"

Wayzz seemed to deeply consider her questions before he responding. "As far as I know, this never has happened before. But, it may be a matter to bring up with the other Kwami of the Miracle box. That may be our best course of action, but I will defer to Master Fu on this subject."

As if summoned, Fu pushed past the curtain that separated the main room from a small kitchen area... a tray with a pot of steaming tea in his hands.

Marikwami looked dejected and sighed, sinking slightly deeper against the softness of the cushion. The footage from the nearby television set suddenly caught her attention as it mentioned her by name.

"... and Chat Noir haven't been seen since the beginning of the battle. That hasn't stopped the Akuma from seeking them out. Thankfully, there has been no major damage to any landmarks or monuments, but the mayor has requested all citizens remain vigilant, and asked that they stay out of the streets unless absolutely necessary. "

"This is a disaster!!" she groaned, tiny tail floof twitching in irritation. At least this confirmed that Paris knew there was an Akuma. 

Master Fu gingerly served three tiny ceramic thimbles of green tea to the waiting Kwami.

"It's not all bad, m'lady... I'm with you, and we made it here safely." Adrikwami reached one nubby arm to rest it on her shoulder. "Let's not give up hope yet. We may be stuck in these forms for now, but we'll come up with something.” He flashed a genuine smile in her direction. “Master Fu,” he said, suddenly turning, “...the biggest side effect really seems to be that we are stuck in one another's bodies, and not really able to use any powers or stay transformed for long at all. What do you think the reason for that could be?"

"Interesting, Chat Noir. Theoretically, I think it is safe to say that you're not able to transform for long because _that_ power is usually generated by the Kwami and their magical life force."

"What exactly does that mean?" Marikwami interrupted. "Tikki isn't gone—neither is Plagg?"

"While that is true, I suspect that because the magic of the Miraculous item is tied to the physical embodiment of the Kwami, the life force from _within_ the jewel-Kwami body combination is being used to power the magic it creates.” Fu leaned back, stroking his sparse beard. “Since this change, as you try to become Ladybug or Chat Noir, the result is that the magic is trying to use _your_ _human_ life force since it is the force within the ‘Kwami’ right now. It stands to reason that once your life force is back where it belongs, all should return to normal.” He sounded fairly sure of this, and said it with a small smile. “But….” his smile fell, “...I am not certain at this point what would reverse your current situation."

"..aside from purifying the Akuma, you mean?" Adrikwami chimed in—Marikwami was silent... deep in thought. She took a sip of her tiny tea.

"Correct."

"Have Plagg or Tikki ever had to physically battle anything before? I mean... Plagg is pretty lazy, so I don't think he would have... but I'm curious.” Adrikwami asked, looking at Fu, and then to Wayzz as he piped up.

"Tikki, Plagg and I have been around since the beginning of time. At first we were merely _concept_ , but we did come into physical being as the need eventually arose. However, since that time, we have never had any other form aside from the ones you've seen with your own eyes.” Wayzz took a small sip of his tea, and then went on with his explanation. 

“Although we have had many battles through the eons, this age of technology—now blending with the essence and magic of the Miraculous—has opened the possibilities and potentials in ways that were impossible before. In short, no; we have always _lent_ our abilities to humans... we've never had to physically do the work. As your technology changes though, who knows what is possible."

The three Kwami fell silent after that, each with their own look of consternation. Master Fu cleared his throat, interrupting them from their thoughts. 

"If you would be so kind as to volunteer, Ladybug... I would first like to take the opportunity to scan your life force, to see if I can sense anything that can be of help..."


	4. Chapter 4

With a lot of apologies and excuses to the museum staff, Tikkinette made it back inside the Louvre and sat down on a cold, stone bench. She had noted with relief that the Akuma was nowhere to be found around the museum grounds, and she hoped that meant Equalizer was off to doing other things—far away from ‘ _Marinette_ ’, ‘ _Adrien_ ’ and, well... the rest of the Francois Dupont class (considering they were the only Miraculous wielders). 

A large yawn escaped her, as she looked around absently. She was already exhausted, unused to navigating a world where she had to actively interact with others. Her mind began racing as she worried about whether Marinette and Adrien would make the trip to Fu's alright... wondering why _she_ didn't go with Marinette to figure things out instead of allowing Marinette to go with ‘ _Chat Noir_ ’. She had a lot of confidence in her Ladybug, but this was also uncharted territory.

Just as Tikkinette was about to stand and walk deeper into the museum, the familiar laugh of Marinette's best friend hit her ears, and she turned her face towards the sound. _Alya Ceasaire!_

She nearly squeaked upon sighting the telltale ombre red hair… but Alya was not alone; she and Nino were both turned to (and laughing at) something that ‘ _Adrien_ ’ was talking about. As if he could tell she was looking at him, Plaggdrien looked up and met Tikkinette's eyes and the trio walked over to meet her.

"Hello, princess..." he greeted with an obnoxious grin. Alya's eyes turned saucer like, and Nino choked back a laugh that turned into a sputtering fit of coughs.

"Plllaa....tonic friends! Hi!" Tikkinette chuckled with a panicked expression, catching herself just before letting Plagg’s name slip.

"Thought I'd lost you, Marinette! What happened? I've been looking for you for almost half an hour." Alya's eyebrows were drawn in a quizzical frown.

"You know me... I got turned around, so I've just been wandering a little bit. Knew you'd find me though—you always do!" Marikwami gave her a strained grin.

"Kay... well, we only have about an hour left before we're supposed to head back to school for early dismissal. Have you thought any more about what to write about?"

Happy that the conversation was headed back to ‘normal’ territory instead of centering around Marinette’s mysterious disappearance, Tikkinette was eager to reply. 

"I thought it might be interesting to discuss clothing construction behaviors relating to the experiences, skills, and interests of designers during the early 17th century..." she began, but realized that both Alya and Nino had looked at her as if she'd grown a second head—Plaggdrien just grinned much wider, if that was possible. "... buuuut I think maybe, instead, I will stick with something like how color affects emotions." She scuffed the edge of her ballet flats nervously under their scrutiny.

"Marinette, make sure you aren't working too hard, dude. This isn't supposed to be a major project, just something our teachers assign us to kill time before summer break." Nino gave her a small grin that he usually reserved for comforting people.

"He's right, Pigtails," Plaggdrien smirked, earning a snort from Alya. "You really should learn to ease up a bit, and relax. It'll be good for you. In fact, let's all just take the rest of the time at the museum and chill out a bit. We could ALL use the break, right?" 

There were muttered agreements from Alya and Nino, so Tikkinette just nodded stiffly. He continued... "Where's the bus going to meet us again? Does anyone have any snacks?" He draped an arm over Tikkinette’s shoulder, which didn’t go unnoticed. Alya caught Tikkinette’s eye and gave her a knowing smile.

The four went with Plaggdrien’s suggestion and opted to enjoy the last vestiges of their morning field trip sitting in the sunshine. They walked away from the busy entrance of the Louvre and down the plaza… they didn’t stop until they reached the area with the gardens, but then stopped to rest. Marikwami noticed that Plaggdrien was casually casting glances around them; probably still looking out for the Akuma from earlier.

"T.G.I.F." said Nino, who leaned back onto his elbows on the grassy lawn.

"Ugh, no kidding. I thought Mendeliev was going to have a fit yesterday during our lab, when Alix and Kim were having that dumb race to see who could finish their experiment first." chuckled Alya.

Plaggdrien had taken a seat immediately next to Tikkinette; his body was parallel with hers and he made sure that they were touching ever so slightly. His proximity _also_ hadn't been overlooked, if the glint in Alya's eye was any indication. Tikkinette stiffened slightly. Even where he wasn’t in direct contact with her, she could feel the heat rolling off his body in waves. Typical cat! She struggled to decide what the proper reaction to this situation should be... worried about the appearance she was supposed to be upholding while being hosted within Marinette's body.

"SO Adrien, you seem to be in a good mood today." Alya noted, the corner of her mouth upturned in a smirk that matched her single raised eyebrow.

"I'm always in a good mood, Red. After all, aren't you the one always calling me ’Sunshine’ behind my back, when you think I can't hear you?" Alya’s eyes widened in surprise momentarily before her expression turned to delight—Nino and Alya cracked up at the candid and unexpected remarks. Nino managed to utter 'dude!' in between chuckles and the shaking of his head. Tikkinette was horrified, and looked like she was about to witness a train wreck.

"Man you're spunky today!" Alya chuckled good naturedly. "Even your hair looks a bit different—unruly and wild... reminiscent of a certain cat boy that runs around Paris. Don't you think, Marinette? It's cute, right?" Alya questioned, with a very unsubtle eyebrow waggle.

"Yes! Uhh, very cute! Yes, Adrien I think you're very cute..." she turned to face Plaggdrien, not realizing his face was already turned in her direction. Startled, she leaned back a little, but was frozen by the look in his green eyes… his face less than a foot away from hers. 

He was much too close. 

Her face turned scarlet, and she wasn't sure if it was because she was angry at herself for the stupid way she'd just set poor Marinette up into a confession, if she was angry at Plagg for setting her up to begin with, or if she was just plain heated by the intimacy of the look that he was giving her. Embarrassment turned to irritation turned to hopelessness as she struggled... trying to decide the best course of action. Blissfully, Alya saved her with a pointed throat clearing and their two faces swiveled to look at her.

"Well. Nino and I were planning on doing something tonight... a movie and ice cream probably... right babe?" she shot him a warning look that went unobserved by the two Kwami.

"RIGHT, yeah the movie, or something. You... two... should join us?" he supplied, eyes darting between his girlfriend, and the other two who clearly didn't recognize the power of Alya Cesaire when it was at work.

They blinked innocently... wheels turning for a hair longer than strictly necessary before they both blurted out replies—"NO...." from her, and an emphatic "Yes!" from him.

Alya was shocked that her best friend hadn't jumped all over the opportunity—Adrien was basically falling into her lap right now, presumably able to get a free evening to himself, and she was going to let this opportunity pass? Not today! 

"Come onnnnn Marinette, it'll be fun. I know for a fact that you don't have to work at the bakery this weekend, and you aren't watching Manon... you were talking about wanting to find something fun to do. It's almost summer, you should live it up a little more. You're always so serious." 

"Well, it's just that um... I'm not really feeling _myself_ today and well, maybe I think I'm getting sick?"

"It's probably just jitters from this year end assignment. But don't worry, I'll help make you feel better." came a silky reply over her shoulder. She turned and gave Plaggdrien a panicked look in response.

"I've... also been very _busy_ with _important_ projects. It's been _**super**_ hard." Tikkinette placed extra emphasis on the word super, to remind him about their duty to help Paris. 

"Well, maybe it's time to put some of your _heroic_ efforts to rest so you can spend more time with your _friends_." The way he said it came out as a challenge.

Alya looked between the two of them for a moment before deciding she had to have a word with Marinette. "Excuse us for a moment," she said before grabbing Tikkinette by her arm and dragging her several yards away.

"What is going ON, girl? This isn't like you at all!" Alya started, but Tikkinette froze upon hearing her. "I seriously think Adrien is taking some interest in you! This can't be about your school work... something's up. SPILL."

Tikkinette did the only thing she could think of in the moment to preserve her identity as Marinette.

"You're... right. This isn't something _Marinette_ would do, is it?” She spoke in apparent third person, but given the situation, it didn’t give Alya any pause. “I would definitely like to go out on a... double date with... you guys. It's supposed to be a date, right? I'm not screwing up am I?"

Alya just let out a loud whoop in response, before dragging her back to where the boys were seated. Tikkinette let out the breath she hadn't realized she'd been holding. 

She would definitely be having some strong words with Plagg over this—what kind of game was he playing? She just hoped her holder wouldn't be too upset to find out that she was going to be going on a date with her secret crush when she returned to her body.

**\-------------------------------------**

Across town, Equalizer had made several stops, including one to the law offices of the attorney her ex had secured; the way he was building a case against her really didn’t seem fair... and his lawyer now wholeheartedly agreed. She made another quick stop at the police station to pick up some help and meet with her ex, who, for the first time, stopped to really listen to her. If he'd done that while they were together, well... maybe they'd still be together? But, that was in the past, and she was here to work on the future. 

After making a stop at City Hall, she finished having all the paperwork from the custody battle rescinded and decided that perhaps it was time to have a chat with Mayor Bourgeois. She waltzed into the best hotel in Paris, an armored police guard on either side of her, and André Bourgeois personally escorted her to their best room. It was about time that she got an upgrade to her living situation—lavish furnishings, state of the art amenities and primo pest control! She wanted nothing but the best for her sweet baby when she went to pick him up later. But first, mama had to take care of some Miraculous business.

"EQUALIZER!!!" Hawkmoth shouted... the neon pink butterfly materialized over her face.

"What exactly do you think you're doing? Something must have happened with Ladybug and Chat Noir. Whatever you did must have weakened them somehow. Why are you not going after them?" Amusement bubbled up in her chest as she felt Hawkmoth’s irritation clearly.

She ignored him, but began to tentatively feel into the connection she shared with him while she strolled into the presidential suite at le Grand Paris. 

_What kind of jerk uses people… **children**... to fight battles for them… _

The thought arose, unbidden. She clenched her fists together.

_What kind of psychopath Akumatizes a baby—MY baby—repeatedly…_

She grit her teeth, and ran her hand along the plush chair back as she stalked farther into the room.

"Ohhh I could get used to this, André. As a matter of fact, I think I WILL get used to this. Thank you, Mayor Bourgeois, for the extended living situation." Equalizer turned sharply on her heel to face him with a charming smile, batting her lashes.

"Equalizer, it is absolutely my pleasure to help you in your every endeavor. I know it hasn't been long, but I feel like we just 'get' one another, wouldn't you say?" the mayor practically simpered.

Her smile warmed as she considered his words. "Indeed... you may go now, but please make sure to send up a menu within the hour. It's been a trying day for me and I'm quite ready for a rest, and some food."

Her two armored guards from the police squad stood erect on the inside of the doorway, waiting to hear what she thought they should do.

"Make sure these two are also fed well," she called to André before turning to address them directly.

"I really appreciate you agreeing to watch out for any pesky intruders for me. You really have been super accommodating." she said sweetly.

"Yes ma'am," they replied somewhat mechanically, but with bright adoring faces. 

They were so enamored and honored to be part of her movement to make Paris—nay, the world—a better place. Everyone was normally afraid of the destruction an Akuma brought with them, but Equalizer... she brought equality, and fairness, and belonging. Of course, it helped that they shared _so_ much in common with her (after they'd had a brief discussion, anyways). A lot of people knew when they hit it off with someone, but this was more than that; they really felt like they had a _connection_ with her... 

What they _didn't_ understand was that her feelings and thoughts were also now theirs; that her powers were quite a lot more than just the power of persuasion, or point of view. When Hawkmoth had bestowed these abilities upon her, he had quite literally (but unintentionally) given her the ability to share a portion of herself with them; she'd realized it from the moment she first used her powers in the heart of Paris and had been experimenting with that small group outside of the Louvre. 

A piece of her consciousness now resided within every person she had confronted, which is what _really_ made it _impossible_ for them to refuse her suggestions. What better way to create equality than to all share a deep seeded commonality—a portion of her soul.

She hadn't counted on Ladybug or Chat Noir being able to resist her implantation, but it hardly mattered. They were here to _serve_ Paris, and soon, Paris would be letting them know _exactly_ what they needed from the soon to be _former_ heroes.

"Are you listening to me?" Hawkmoth pressed once more, seriously agitated from being ignored. "If you want to KEEP these powers, you WILL heed me! You will go after them!"

She closed her eyes and felt into their connection again... it was so very much like the connection she shared with every other person she'd turned to her cause. 

Yes... she could work with that…

A throaty chuckle rumbled and she concentrated on the thread that linked them together. "Oh Hawkmoth. You really don't know what you've gotten yourself into."


	5. Chapter 5

Marikwami looked around the inside of the Miracle box with wonder—it was definitely bigger on the inside. The entire space was littered with odd items that almost seemed to be discarded; however, she realized these must all be items that held some special meaning if they were here in the realm where the Kwami resided when not active on Earth. As they landed towards the center of the circular space, she had even spotted a tabletop jukebox (of all things). She noticed that the other Kwami were actively involved in various activities... amusing themselves as she and Adrikwami had arrived alongside Wayzz. 

"Excuse us, everyone..." Wayzz said over the general din. "We have Ladybug and Chat Noir with us today, and they're seeking our help with a situation." 

There was a momentary silence, until the room seemed to burst with energy. All the Kwami inside were suddenly _much_ more lively, and all talking loudly at once. They threw question after question at them.

"Where are Tikki and Plagg?" "What are YOU doing here?" "Oh my gooooodness...." " _What_ has _he_ done now..."

"Quiet pleaassssse! Everyone..." All heads turned in the direction of the voice. A light green Kwami resembling a cobra emerged from the crowd.

"Sass... just who we were looking for." Wayzz greeted. Judging from the way everyone had immediately quieted down, Marikwami and Adrikwami both concluded he was probably the one ‘ _in charge_ ’. 

"We have a threat in the physical world that caused Ladybug and Chat Noir to swap bodies with their Kwami. Right now, we are looking to find a way to help them reverse it so they can defeat the threat and go back to where they belong." Wayzz looked around the large group of magical beings with a hopeful expression.

"Interesssting." Sass rubbed a tiny nub along his chin thoughtfully. "The fact that you are here makessss me think that they’re unable to change back into your heroic formsss, correct?"

"That seems to be correct, but maybe I should allow Ladybug and Chat Noir to provide additional details? Master has already scanned the two of them and confirmed that their life forces have actually transferred. Ladybug?" Wayzz pivoted towards her and retreated to give her the floor.

Marikwami floated forward a little timidly, and greeted all the new Kwami with a small wave. "Hello, yes, I'm Ladybug. And we really do need your help and experience. We've not been able to figure out how to transfer back to our true selves.” She wrung her small hands together as she explained. “But I've been thinking... even if we were able to do it, there is still a chance that the Akuma would be able to put us back in this situation. So I was thinking…” she hesitated a moment before continuing, “...that maybe our conversation needs to center around ways that we can defeat her in battle _without_ our powers." 

Almost immediately, the group of Kwami started excitedly chattering amongst themselves, while Adrikwami floated up beside her in support.

"Yessss, well... I can sssay without a doubt that we've never encountered anything quite like thisss before,” Sass addressed her directly and the room fell silent once more. “Living in a magical container as sssuch means we have literally talked about everything." he said with a small grin, and there were several small chuckles surrounding them. "Ssso, let us open the floor to disssscussions about how besssst to help the Ladybug and Black Cat."

"You said that you're unable to transform at all?" asked a small grey Kwami with large round ears that Marikwami guessed would have to be a mouse? 

"Not exactly..." replied Adrikwami, "However, when we transformed, Plagg and Tikki told us that the Miraculous jewels are automatically on countdown timers." Sass studied Adrikwami carefully. 

"Master Fu thinks that we'd be unable to use Cataclysm or Lucky Charm because it seems like we are currently powering the miraculous with OUR life forces instead of the magic from the Kwami life force." Marikwami chimed in. "So we are stuck with the dilemma of how to defeat a villain without any special powers."

"You say ‘ _without any special powers_ ’, but what makes you think you _can't_ have any powers to use...?" A little fox Kwami interrupted eagerly... recognition dawned on Adrikwami's face as he realized it was Trixx, who usually powered Rena Rouge's transformation. Marikwami's little red face scrunched up in thought... Trixx must have a plan. 

"Do go on, pleasssse..." Sass urged, intrigued. 

**\-------------------------------------**

Not long after, the three kwami emerged from the Miracle Box; a rough plan for how they were going to beat this Akuma was already forming. The _execution_ of the plan...? Well, that was going to rely on a whole lot of luck.

"Did you have any success?" Fu asked as he rose to meet them at the edge of the Miracle box.

"We didn't determine a way to return them to their proper bodies, Master, but we do have an idea of how we may be able to defeat the Akuma and set things back to the way they were." Wayzz floated over and sat down on Fu's shoulder.

Fu nodded solemnly. “That's about as much as we can really hope for at this time. I am glad the other Kwami were helpful. How can I be of assistance—"

Suddenly, the sharp music of the breaking news segment blared from the tv, accompanied by Nadja's voice. It broke through their discussion, and cut Fu off from what he was about to say. 

"Breaking news, Paris! We have Equalizer here to give us an exclusive interview!" Nadja had a glazed over look—complete with goofy grin—on her face.

"Thank you for agreeing to talk with me and share MY side of this story, Nadja..." Equalizer was suddenly centered on the television screen. 

"I'm not really bad, once you get to know me." she started. "If you could just _meet_ me and have a conversation, I'm sure we would reach an agreement.” She smiled slyly at that admission. “I am just looking for Ladybug and Chat Noir at this point. We don't even have to fight, and nobody's gonna get hurt.”

There were loud cheers, and the camera cut to a wide shot that showed Equalizer addressing probably close to 300 citizens. Marikwami and Adrikwami looked at one another in shock—her influence was starting to spread.

“I abhor violence and destruction, truly. I just want to sit down with you two, and discuss options for our fair city. If you can hand over your Miraculous, things will go super smoothly, and everything can go back to normal around here—I'll make sure of it. As an act of good faith, I'm willing to give you some time to hand yourself in. You don't even have to hunt me down; I'll be waiting at le Grand Paris."

"Wow Equalizer, you are really so level headed, and reasonable." Nadja practically gushed praises.

"I try..." came the reply with tittering laughter, followed by another roar from the crowd. "Honestly though, I'm sure it's just a matter of time before they come around. Ladybug and Chat Noir _know_ the right thing to do in this situation.” The camera shot in to a close up of just Equalizer’s face, framed by those ginormous shoulder pads.

“Give over your Miraculous, it's the only sensible option. Considering I have hundreds of Parisians already on my side, I don't think you need to even entertain the idea of going against me—” there was unintelligible jeering from the crowd, “...and, they _are_ willing to bring you to me... so maybe we should just save everyone the trouble. Besides, once everyone is able to see things the same way, we won’t even need heroes anymore. If you don't comply, I think the locals will be awfully upset with your unwillingness to compromise." 

Adrikwami scoffed, but his partner looked like she was about to lose it.

"Compromise?? Is she crazy? How is giving our Miraculous over a compromise??" Marikwami squeaked at the audacity. She thought back to several months ago when Zombiezou had reduced almost the entire population of Paris to kissing, groping, desperate zombies... until she has basically been the last one left standing. She still had nightmares over that, and wasn't eager to replicate the same scenario.

"Ladybug," Fu started, "Go home—both of you. Talk to your Kwami, and make sure they understand what needs to happen. We probably don't have much time to prepare, but at least the city isn't being destroyed."

"He's right, My Lady... the best we can do now is not allow her to get under our skin." Adrikwami soothed, one silky black paw landing on her shoulder to pat it gently. "We have a plan; let's just focus on getting through this." 

"Thank you, Chat... you're right" she sighed deeply. "Master Fu, I think we need a favor—do you think we could hitch a ride with you? And about the other Miraculous jewels... we are definitely going to need some additional help. It's risky, but I have a feeling it should work out."

**\-------------------------------------**

The rest of the morning at the museum passed quickly, and the students of Francois Dupont High School had arrived back to campus to be released for the day. Citing the need to ‘not break Marinette’, Plaggdrien had grudgingly agreed to sit next to Nino on the ride home. He'd had a great time teasing Tikki this morning—he couldn't recall the last time he'd been up to that much fun and mischief. He was actually starting to regret his decision to usually sit around sleeping in Adrien's bag.

After all the students had filed off the bus, Plaggdrien made sure to say goodbye to Adrien’s best friend Nino, but carefully watched as Tikkinette’s pigtails bobbed away without a backward glance. He smiled to himself; she'd always been so _good_ at "being good". But as they say, when the cat's away, the mice will play... a slight grin tugged at the corners of his mouth.

Sighting the vehicle Adrien always rode home in, he crossed the remaining area of the school yard. Plaggdrien opened the back door, and hopped into the back of the Agreste family driver's car and it immediately departed on its way to the mansion they lived in. They rode in silence for just a couple of minutes before the car slowly came to a stop in the driveway. Plaggdrien left the vehicle, and walked all the way to the front door before stopping suddenly in front of it.

"OH shoot." he said dramatically. "I can't believe I forgot about it... You know what? This class project about the museum…” he looked up to his driver with a hopeful expression. “I can't believe how silly this is, but... do you think maybe I could go over to my friend's house? She's sorta expecting me, and I meant to ask when I got in the car.”

Plaggdrien did his best imitation of sweet-pure-kitten face, before launching into what (he hoped) would clinch the deal.

“I think I'm just overworked or something... I can't believe I forgot something like that so easily. I’m so upset with myself.” He cast his gaze downward, in mock disappointment. “Maybe I should talk to Nathalie about switching my schedule up because I must be waaaay too busy if I am forgetting simple things like this..." He looked up at his driver, blinking his big green eyes… the picture of innocence.

The driver just looked at him blankly… Plaggdrien decided to double down and change tactics a little bit.

"Technically, since it's still within regular school hours, I should _probably_ still be learning. And I have nothing else scheduled for right now. We wouldn't want my brain to get all soft or runny—like a pristine specimen of Camembert—from disuse. I’m sure my father wouldn’t like that at all. So, do be a good fellow and drive me over? Thank you." 

With a small grunt (Plaggdrien couldn't tell if it was disapproval or assent), the driver motioned for ‘Adrien’ to get back into the vehicle so he could take him where he needed to be.

**\-------------------------------------**

Down the road, Tikkinette had arrived home to the apartment over the temporarily closed bakery. 

"Mother, Father? I am home...?" She called timidly as she walked in.

"Marinette!! Are you okay?" Sabine, who had been sitting on the couch watching the news broadcast suddenly rushed over, hugging her daughter close. Tom stepped in, wrapping his large arms around both his wife and daughter in an even larger hug. 

"There's an Akuma loose, and when you didn't text us back, we were worried that something might have happened to you! Were you injured or affected in any way?" Tom asked, voice full of concern for his daughter. 

"Yes Mother, Father, I'm doing just fine. I apologize, I... was having too much fun and I completely forgot to even look at my phone. I kind of forgot I even had a phone..." she nervously giggled.

"Are you sure you're okay, sweetheart?" Sabine pulled back and stared into her daughter's eyes intently... something didn't feel right to her, but she wasn't quite sure what it was.

"Yes Mother I'm sure. But I am a little hungry after that kerfuffle. Is there any way I can have something to eat? I'm sure I will feel better after getting something in my stomach."

"Of course dear, just a moment... Tom? Would you mind?" Dutifully, her father hurried downstairs to raid the overstock pastries and cookies—unsold from the morning.

"Nadja was just given an exclusive interview with the Akuma... it was on the television..." Sabine tried to bring her daughter up to speed with the latest news. "The Akuma said they want Ladybug and Chat Noir to give over their Miraculous. Nobody's seen either one of them since this morning..." Tikkinette's face blanched, but thankfully Tom returned with a huge plate of treats and she was saved from further discussion. 

"Thanks, parents!" Tikkinette smiled winningly at them, and with a small giggle, she grabbed a cookie in each hand and started eating. 

Her eyes glittered exuberantly, and she finished the first cookie in less than 3 bites. Did she even chew before she swallowed??

"Ummm, Marinette..." Sabine started to object to her daughter's table manners. Tom and Sabine looked at each other worriedly for a moment... but considering they were happy she was unharmed from the morning Akuma (and that she hadn't started choking on her cookies) they decided to just focus on being grateful that their child was safely at home.

Tikkinette stood up and grabbed the plate, shoving another full sized cookie into her mouth. "UMMmmph. Sho good fanks," she said, cheeks full. "Goeen to ma woom... fank you, shee you 'ater,"

They stared up the stairs after their child, and shook their heads.

Just then, the doorbell rang. 

"That's odd... we're not expecting any deliveries right now, are we?" Tom looked to Sabine quizzically. They both went to the front door to answer it.

Plaggdrien plastered on his most winning smile. "Bonjour, madam and monsieur baker. Is your lovely daughter home? Oh and excuse me for asking, but, could I possibly trouble you for some cheese?" 


	6. Chapter 6

"Marinette?" Sabine called out to her, and there was a knock on the trap door to the attic bedroom. "Marinette, you have company—can we come in? Why didn't you mention your project honey?" Sabine lifted the door to find Marinette sitting at her desk, cheeks even more full of pastry and cookies than when she'd hurried upstairs.

"Thank you ma'am..." Plaggdrien said sweetly as he beamed at Sabine. He stepped up into Marinette’s room, giving Tikkinette a salute with his half devoured cheese danish. Sabine just smiled knowingly and shut the door after he entered.

Tikkinette sputtered, choking on large chunks of cookie that she hadn't had the proper time to chew before the surprise visit was sprung upon her. She bashed her fist into her chest to help clear her airways. "WHAT are you doing here??" she hissed.

"I missed you too, Lovebug." Plaggdrien said with a small smirk, sauntering over to where she was sitting and putting his pastry on her plate.

She bolted to standing and Plaggdrien reached out for her. "They can't find you here, Plagg. What if my holder shows up from Fu's? What is she going to think if she finds the boy she's be—"

Plaggdrien’s hand slipped around her side and settled in between her shoulder blades... he pulled Tikkinette to him in a crushing kiss. 

His soulmate tasted like chocolate, and smelled like a buttery croissant.

Tikki hadn't been expecting it; his soft lips... the faint scent of cheese... the way his hands had somehow landed, to pull her close... her eyes fluttered shut and her arms draped over his shoulders of their own doing.

What felt like an eternity (but was in actuality, mere seconds) passed.

They broke away from the kiss, both drawing in a deep breath. He leaned his forehead against hers. "You've no idea how much I miss you, Teek..." His arms tightened around her as he breathed in her sweet scent.

"Plagg..." she choked out as her big blue eyes began to fill with unshed tears.

"Let's put an end to the secrets, Tikki. I love you. I can't keep going on like this. Why are we doing this?" The sudden vulnerability in his words left her stunned. She knew he loved her—they'd always loved one another—but this was probably one of the longest times they'd been apart since they were created. She didn’t realize how badly it had been affecting him... or her, if she was being honest.

"It's for the safety of everyone..." she quietly mumbled. It almost seemed like she was trying to convince herself.

"Safety schmafety. Time goes on with or without these humans, and we've lived for millennia... been _together_ ,for millennia. Outside of our dimension though—our sanctuary—I can't be with you.” He straightened his arms, holding her shoulders and gazed into her eyes imploringly. “It's killing me! Have you even SEEN my fur lately?”

Tikkinette cracked a small smile.

“Let's not even get into how gaunt I'm looking... I'm practically wasting away." He watched how she held onto her stubbornness in the way she refused to let the tears streak down her face. 

"We're meant to be together—the same way THEY are. Why _can't_ he tell her who he is? _Why_ won't she tell him?" Plaggdrien held a pleading look in his eyes.

"Nobody's safe that way! As long as Hawkmoth is after the Miraculous jewels, _knowing_ turns into a _liability_. We can't!" She turned her eyes away from him, staring determinedly at the ground.

"We are supposed to be _together_ ,” he repeated, “...the forces of creation and destruction are _balanced_ that way. That has to count for something." he stepped back, ducking his head to make her eyes meet his.

When he recaptured her gaze, he pressed on. "And, I know he loves Ladybug, with everything he is. Being together—and bringing _them_ together—will make things better. Why do you have to be so bound to duty, and to rules? How has being a goody goody ever helped _you_...? Surely we are stronger together than apart. You agree with me on that, right?" 

She let out a heavy sigh, wringing her hands, but he plowed through. "We can make it work—we've done it in the past, and we can do it again! Who knows, maybe we can even find a way to defeat Hawkmoth just by being together. Tikki... please..." He was begging her now. 

She leaned against him, head resting against his shoulder willing the tears not to fall. "I'm sorry. I'm so sorry."

He knew she'd already made up her mind; she'd already decided the moment she'd told her holder that it wasn't _safe_ to, more than a year ago. Tikki had planted the idea there, and now all four of them had to pay the price.

He sighed in resignation.

"Okay, just... let me have this moment at least? Today is the happiest I've been since Hawkass appeared." He chuckled wryly, and pulled her against him once more. He planted his chin on the top of her head and stroked her back. Her arms were wrapped tightly around him… maybe even tighter than he was holding her. 

"When we were taken for this assignment…” he paused, gathering his words. “...I guess I never thought about how long we'd be apart. I just need you by me right now. Okay? Just... for now," he ended in a whisper.

There was nothing else to be said. 

They were silent as they held one another close for a few minutes more. He finally, reluctantly, loosened his grasp around her, and moved his hands to her shoulders. He pulled back from her, and hesitated a mere fraction of a second before placing a small kiss on the top of her head. 

Plaggdrien released his grip from her shoulders, then turned to walk away. 

"I'll be seeing you later today, I guess?" she called after him weakly. 

He just raised the hatch on the trap door, gave her one of Adrien's signature winks, and then disappeared into the apartment downstairs to let himself out.

**\-------------------------------------**

Plaggdrien allowed himself a moment to pout as he left the Dupain-Cheng residence. His meeting hadn't gone anything like he'd hoped... not _really_. But he would never say he was surprised. After all this time, he _knew_ Tikki. Probably better than she knew herself. 

He had always admired her tenacity and her ability to hold tight to her convictions. She was like: the 1% of germs that couldn’t be washed away with soap; the mildew stain inside the back corner of a shower; a rash that couldn’t be cured. In other words... she was _perfect_. 

Plaggdrien was upset, but made sure to school his features for Adrien's sake. Outside, he was actually surprised to see that Gorilla had remained parked in the car and waiting; the lengths this man went through to protect Adrien were astounding. With a deep sigh, he reluctantly climbed into the back seat of the vehicle. 

There really was only one thing to clear this funk he was in... and it was more ‘ _funk_ ’.

"Excuse me, sir..." Plaggdrien called up to his driver as he shut the car door. It spurred a look of confusion as Gorilla looked in the rearview mirror to meet the mischievous green eyes.

"I'm a bit peckish... didn't get to really eat much—because we were super busy learning and all that—and I'm really craving something specific. I think there is a local grocery that carries a wide variety of cheese nearby. Would it trouble you much to make a stop there? Don't worry, today my schedule is completely clear of other obligations..."

With a small grunt, his driver turned the corner to fulfill the request.

They pulled up to a small shop called La Fromagerie, and Plaggdrien all but leapt out of the car. Having to depend on Adrien for everything was really putting a cramp in his style; he WAS an all powerful god of destruction, after all.

Considering how much smaller the world had become, the fact that he was now out on his own—standing before a place that had brought all these delectable goods to one location—was too good an opportunity to pass up. He grinned to himself as he strode up to the shop, relishing that he could potentially fetch his OWN food for once, without causing an enormous scene the way it would if he was spotted as a Kwami.

...he promptly walked into the glass of the door... 

Several people turned with a grimace to look at him. He rubbed his forehead as a blush crept over his features. In his eagerness, he'd forgotten that he currently was unable to phase through objects. 

"That was _pane-ful_..." he cackled to himself. He regretted the joke almost instantly, and wondered if being inside of Adrien's body was going to somehow permanently damage his sense of humor.

As he pushed open the door, the delightful aroma of ripened fruit and cheeses assaulted his senses. Although his nose wasn't as keen as in his own body, Plaggdrien was still able to appreciate the variety he had stumbled into. "I think I'm in heaven..." he mumbled as he took in the literal mounds and near mountains of cheese on display throughout the shop. 

His eyes lit up in delight and surprise... an American brand of Camembert? He'd never tried _that_ before…

People took a wide berth of the strange kid (wasn't it that dreamy Adrien kid??) talking to cheese… the one that had grabbed a large wheel (of what looked like Camembert??) and was rubbing it against his flawless looking face.

Plaggdrien looked enraptured when he pulled out the slim black wallet from the back pocket of Adrien's designer jeans; there were definitely plus sides to being the Kwami of a rich kid. He grabbed a basket and started choosing anything that caught his attention: Brie Fermier, Fourme de Montbrison, Tomme de Savoie, La Trappe d'Échourgnac, Harbison, and of course, his favorite brands of Camembert. 

"Sorry buddy, I'll pay you back," he muttered under his breath. "What are the odds of finding all these varieties at the same time? This is just too good to refuse."

**\-------------------------------------**

Just around the corner, Fu stopped at the park outside of the Dupain-Cheng bakery. Three Kwami were hidden in the folds of his long trench coat. Considering the day was gorgeous, he was a little apprehensive about the attire, but some things couldn't really be helped. 

"I'm going to need you to part ways here." Fu spoke under his breath to them. "This is as far as I'm really willing to stray from home while this Akuma is around; I want to get back safely. Will you need any other help finding your way home?" 

The bulbous little heads of two Kwami peeked out from the inside pocket, and peeked around. Both shook their heads no, quite confident about where they were. 

"Thank you Master Fu, this should be fine. We've spent enough time navigating Paris and chasing after Akuma this past year that I could probably get home blind folded. You okay, m’lady?" Adrikwami's bobble head swiveled to cast a questioning glance over at Marikwami. She giggled at the absurdity of his outlandish head size.

"Yes kitty, I'll be fine. And, thank you for everything today Master... and Wayzz." she flashed a brilliant smile at them. 

"Of course Ladybug. It's been no problem.” Master Fu smiled kindly in return. “And good luck when it's time to face Equalizer. I hope you don't need it, however." The two heroes slipped out from his coat pocket and into a nearby bush with black boxes in hand. Master Fu smiled once more in their general direction before quickly walking away.

"You've been awfully quiet, My Lady. Is... everything alright?" Adrikwami looked to her with those startling green eyes, and she smiled in response.

"Let's do this, Chat." was her reply. 

"Pre-emptive pound it?" he held out a furry nubbin, and she connected with her own to complete their signature celebratory move. She just hoped it wasn't too early to be celebrating.

**\-------------------------------------**

A little farther up the road, things were not as they _normally_ were inside of the Agreste household—not that they were ever _particularly_ what anyone else would consider "normal".

Nathalie's black heels clicked coldly upon a slab of concrete as she made her way through an expansive underground chamber. As the Agreste family assistant/tutor/schedule keeper/backup villain/whatever they needed of her, Nathalie often found herself in situations that were unbelievable at best, and downright awful at worst. She didn't _really_ mind the work though; it was always interesting, and the pay was good. 

Today was one of the ‘ _interesting_ ’ days…

In a lot of ways she felt indebted to the Agreste family, and that was part of the reason she hadn't booked it the moment she'd found out about magic, curses, and her boss's awful parenting abilities. It was also the reason why she was currently helping her employer, who had inadvertently goaded his own creation into turning against him. 

Nathalie almost felt bad for Gabriel. It had been well over a year that he'd been sending villains to capture the Miraculous for him, and honestly, he'd only come close to succeeding a couple of times. Today was a bit of an anomaly, as his own Akuma had turned her powers against him, and that had only ever happened once before. Well... not unless you counted the times he'd akumatized that baby August, who was more intent on _playing_ than capturing the Heroes of Paris. Why he bothered with a baby was beyond her.

She arrived at a landing, and stopped short, just before reaching him. It took a lot to surprise her—and this particular situation had—but her stone-like visage was a testament to years of work in his employ; although she was disturbed, nobody would have been able to tell. A small, purple, magical being with wings floated before her; her boss, Gabriel Agreste (more well known as Hawkmoth) in the body of his Kwami named Nooroo. 

"Sir. I've nothing new to report, aside from a news broadcast where Equalizer told Ladybug and Chat to give in. She has been systematically turning Paris to her cause."

"Thank you Nathalie," the small, high pitched voice replied. "Any sighting of Ladybug or Chat Noir yet then?" 

"Negative, sir. Although, if their situation is anything like yours, I assume they are laying low until they can make a game plan."

"Indeed." he spat out, the headache he'd been nursing since his Akuma had backfired was as strong as ever. 

Gabrikwami scowled, then looked forlornly down at his wife, who was encased in the glowing glass case he'd been standing vigil at. She was alive but as still as the grave in a magical coma; he was desperately fighting to awaken her. 

Anger gnawed at the edges of his normally cool and calculative persona. He couldn’t believe his Kwami had refused to obey him after they’d had their consciousness swapped unceremoniously—Nooroo had insisted that Gabriel would be hurt if they attempted to use the Miraculous powers under these conditions. Gabriel’s health didn't matter though; he needed his wife to wake up! Ever since he'd gained the power of the Miraculous, he'd done anything possible in an attempt to gain control of the Ladybug and Black Cat Miraculous. Emilie’s revival was worth any price—even his own health—yet the stubborn purple menace had outright refused to try any magic when powered into Hawkmoth. 

...the impertinent whelp would pay for his disloyalty later…

"What do you suggest we do, sir, about this situation?" Nathalie posed the question, interrupting his brooding thoughts. He really didn't even have an answer at this point. "Nooroo may have been right to refuse to take action, considering the circumstances," she added on, almost as if she was reading his mind.

"Yes, well... make sure he doesn't get any OTHER bright ideas. He may be inside my body, but he is NOT to make any appearances." Gabrikwami could only imagine what would happen if the Kwami suddenly thought to escape.

"He's still in custody—here in the cellar. I made sure there is no way he can get out." 

Gabrikwami was mildly pleased to be reminded of Nooroo’s containment, but it did nothing to take the edge off the thoughts about how his own Akuma had turned against him, and how his creation had become so strong, so quickly. 

**That** was the problem with magic and the Miraculous. The power they contained was great, but the consequences for wielding such power without complete care could be... disastrous. 

He hated to admit it, but he was actually cheering for the teenaged heroes to fix the messy monster he created. He always thought he'd be able to control his creations. He knew now that he would have to be _much_ more careful. 'The student becomes the teacher’, and ‘the mighty shall fall'...

He closed his large, Kwami eyes, and he reached one small purple arm up to massage the space between them... willing his darned headache to go away. Was he becoming power hungry and blind in his desperation to rescue his wife…? In what other ways had his desperation clouded his judgement? 

Nathalie remained for a few silent moments more, but quickly realized Gabrikwami was done talking about the situation for now.

"Sir... is there anything else now then?"

"No, you may leave, Nathalie. Make my excuses, as per usual."

"Yes, sir." she nodded, though he didn’t see her, fixated as he was on his wife’s sleeping form. She retreated back into the relative darkness.


	7. Chapter 7

Back at the bakery, Tikkinette was trying to distract herself from the flood of emotions she’d felt from Plagg’s unexpected arrival. Panic, doubt, longing, frustration… bliss. The toe curling kiss he'd given her wasn't something she'd been anticipating at all... and if she was being honest with herself, it had felt _really good_. 

She genuinely missed being with him. And, she knew that, in some ways, he had a point—there were definitely benefits to their holders knowing one another's identity. They both also knew there were risks. Hawkmoth was getting a little more desperate as of late, and if he could discover _any_ _other_ of the Parisian heroes identities, he would definitely press his advantage to unravel every secret they had. He’d already proven how ruthless he was, using Chloe’s family against her. Sharing identities at this point was not a good idea—they needed a little bit of contingency to work with. 

Tikkinette huffed in frustration thinking about one of their safeguards coming unraveled today. She had warned against allowing Chat Noir to know where the Guardian lived for essentially the same reasons that they shouldn’t reveal their secret identities to one another. She _knew_ sooner or later they would have to all be on the same page, but that didn’t stop the worrisome feeling that came over her. Considering how old she was, she had learned to follow her gut feelings for the most part. Only time would tell if Marinette's decision to involve him this way would play out well or not. 

Trying to distract herself, Tikkinette turned to the tall wardrobe at the side of the room and decided to change into something Marinette had recently finished sewing. She slipped a top over her head and smoothed her hands over the white cotton fabric with tiny red rosettes. 

Despite the distraction her mind was still elsewhere, locked on thoughts of that heated kiss, and how Plagg had relentlessly teased her all morning in _front_ of poor Marinette's classmates. It was enough to make her face burn in both embarrassment _and_ second hand embarrassment. She could clearly imagine how Marinette would have (not) dealt with all the attention from Adrien, and wondered how to break the news that she'd inadvertently made a date with him on her behalf. 

She'd worry about THAT later… assuming there _was_ a later. 

For the next twenty minutes, Tikkinette busied herself with donning new outfit after new outfit... turning herself into a veritable paper doll as she started to enjoy the novelty of having actual clothes for the first time. She mildly wondered why Marinette always preferred to wear the same clothes to school considering she wanted to be a fashion designer.

Marikwami suddenly phased into the room from the upper skylight, calling out as she did. "Tikki? I'm back!!" ... she dropped the somewhat heavy black Miraculous box and dove directly into one of her fluffy pillows, exhausted.

Tikkinette spun around when she heard Marikwami return, a slight blush coloring her face. "Marinette!" she squeaked—embarrassed to have been caught playing dress-up while her charge was out trying to fix whatever THIS was.

She was across the room in seconds, climbing the ladder anxiously. "Marinette!" she hisspered. "I have been doing anything I can to keep my mind from wandering while you were gone! You saw the Guardian? What happened—what did he say?" She climbed onto the bed in record speed.

The little red bug tossed to her side to face the bright blue eyes and pigtails questioning her. 

"Well, we have a plan. As much of one as we can have. Though I have to admit, trying to figure this out before shouting 'Lucky Charm' was really weird.” She managed a small smile. “Oh... yeah. I have a present for you. I hope you like jewelry..." Marikwami motioned to her side and Tikkinette's eyes flicked over, finally noticing the black Miraculous box on the bed. 

Marikwami took the opportunity to slowly sit up and observed the outfit Tikkinette had put on. "Huh... that actually looks really good on me," she commented, giving her friend a once over. Her expression rapidly changed from contemplative to alarmed.

"Speaking of clothes—I've never felt more exposed than how I felt today, flying around Paris without a stitch of clothing! I design clothes in my spare time—how have I never thought _once_ to ask if you wanted something to wear??"

Tikkinette giggled at that, and smiled fondly. "Well, I don't think I can miss something I've never had. It's never been an issue for me."

"Fair enough..." Marikwami sighed, closing her eyes, and flopping back down into the pillow. "I feel so useless. Fu had to drop Chat and I off in the park, and then we had to sneak our separate ways to get home with these heavy boxes and avoid being seen.”

Marikwami turned to pick at a piece of fuzz on her bed comforter. “It was a risk having him leave the Miracle box unattended, but honestly I don't think we could have made it back home were it not for him.” Her big blue eyes looked up pitifully to Tikkinette. 

“And truthfully, I’m sorta questioning my abilities at the moment. Today was hard. What good is a hero that can't even power up? Is Hawkmoth just going to get worse from here? I feel like I should have been more prepared somehow.” She bashed the back of her head into the pillow repeatedly with a groan. “How do I avoid losing hope when I can't directly influence anything right now..."

"You know... this is a crazy situation. But thankfully, it's still not the _worst_ _case_ scenario, and we still have the ability to do something about it.” Tikkinette curled up next to Marikwami on the bed, then patted the top of her head.

“Trading bodies with you was not something I had ever imagined possible before, and as worried as _you_ are about it, believe me, I've been worried too.” The look Tikkinette had on her face was plaintive.

“Marinette. This is my first foray into a sustained physical human form... and it's quite exhausting—if I'm being honest. Plagg and I are _vulnerable_ like this... I'm not sure what would have happened had Equalizer come across us in civilian form and tried to use those creepy powers of persuasion on us.” Her eyes were suddenly much larger and alarmed looking.

“One misstep could've signaled the end for you as Ladybug, and the end of Paris as we know it—maybe even something much worse. I have _never_ felt as endangered in my entire existence as I have today.” Tikkinette sat up abruptly, looking across the room for some invisible force to help her find the courage to say the words she wanted to say...

“I am going to have to be Ladybug when we face off against Equalizer, and I'm scared…” she admitted hesitantly, “...because what I do has the potential to hurt _you_ , Marinette, and I'm not sure how I can live with it if something happened to you. This is the first time I've felt... well... Mortal." Tikkinette looked disappointed in herself.

Marikwami watched her friend closely, eyes widening with each sentence in the confession.

"I'm so sorry Tikki. I've been so worried about myself all day... I haven't even asked how YOU'RE feeling. Of course this had to be a big adjustment for you too... " she immediately flew to her friend, and gave her the same cheek hug Tikki had given her many times before. "But don't worry, you're gonna do great, I promise. I believe in you, and you're gonna have help, so we can keep the transformation and put everything back to normal."

**\-------------------------------------**

Plaggdrien bounded up to the front door of his home, arms laden with groceries from his rather successful run to the store. The Gorilla had eyed him questioningly when he showed back up at the car with two full bags, but as usual, he said nothing. 

That earned another point as far as Plagg was concerned—willingness to protect Adrien at all costs? Check. Man of little words and therefore little explanations? Double check.

No sooner had he entered Adrien's room and shut the door before he was accosted by a hostile ball of fluff.

"What were you doing outside of the house? You should have been back a while ago! Where were you?" Adrikwami angrily accused. 

"Gee dad, I'm sorry..." sneered Plaggdrien. "I normally enjoy being locked up _so_ much, but I haven't quite been _myself_ today..."

"Knock it off, Plagg. I’m not sure how many times you need to be told, but this is serious! Ladybug and I have been trying to figure out what to do all day, and you were out... doing what...?” His angry emerald eyes darted to the grocery bags in Plaggdrien’s hands.

“Were... " he paused for a moment as realization settled in. "... were you getting _cheese_? Did you seriously go out shopping for cheese? You have a whole fridge FULL of cheese... right... THERE!" Adrikwami's eyes were little more than slits as he hissed out his displeasure, his angry Kwami arms gesticulating wildly in the direction of the mini fridge. “HOW did you even afford all of that...?”

“Oh—yeah I used your bank card.” 

If steam could have poured out of his ears, Adrikwami would have been clouding up the place. 

Plaggdrien looked legitimately confused about Adrikwami’s irritation. “What? ...I'll pay you back?” 

"With what money!?!" 

Plaggdrien simply rolled his eyes as he crouched low to cram his newest additions into the small container. He wondered if it would be possible to get Nathalie alone at some point and ask her for a larger fridge. He replied coolly, “...I didn't say it would be with money. Some favors are priceless. Anyways, here, have some cheese…” 

Just then there was a knock on the bedroom door.

"Erm... yes...?" Plaggdrien quickly called out, as Adrikwami dove into the front of his shirt pocket. Nathalie opened the door. 

"Adrien, the magazine shoot that was scheduled for tomorrow morning has been postponed until next week. Since you are out of school for the remainder of the afternoon, your father requested that you take time to practice your piano skills. Dinner will be served in a couple of hours."

"Is my old man actually going to be at dinner today?" 

Nathalie raised a perfectly arched eyebrow at his choice of words, but elected to answer him anyways.

"Your father is working late this evening, so no, he won't be joining you for dinner."

"Tooo bad. Hey, since he's not here, mind if I just end up eating in my room? I'll eat, catch some vids, do a little pi-an-o..." He said it airily, over emphasizing each syllable of the word. Adrikwami felt his soft fur bristle with the unrefined tone of voice Plaggdrien was using. He was sure he would hear about it later.

"....Certainly." Nathalie replied curtly, as she looked down to write something on her tablet before turning and closing the door behind her. Adrikwami escaped the stuffy pocket with a huff. 

"Why are you doing this?” Adrikwami renewed his tirade. “This is just a big game to you, isn't it. Thank goodness my father wasn't around to witness whatever it is you just pulled with Nathalie. He probably would have forbade me from ever going to school again after ' _a stunt like that_ '. He already thinks my friends are bad influences."

Plaggdrien just stalked back over to the fridge and pulled out a small assortment of the new cheeses; Adrikwami continued ranting. "This has been the worst day of my life..."

Plaggdrien snorted, before setting a plate out on the table in front of the television and preparing to dig in. He flopped down onto the white sofa in front of it. "I know _exactly_ what you need, friend. You're hangry."

Loathe as he was to admit it, Adrien thought about it and Plagg was right. He was hungry—but he wasn't about to be distracted when his lady was counting on him.

"Do you always think with your stomach?" He shot an unimpressed glare in Plaggdrien's direction. "While you were busy _shopping_ , Ladybug and I were out trying to figure out how to defeat Equalizer. I brought something for you..." He flew off and returned in a few moments, dropping a black Miraculous box into Plaggdrien's lap. 

Plaggdrien wore a frown momentarily... confused as to why a Kwami would need another Kwami for help. But, he caught on quickly, and the look on his face showed he was clearly impressed. 

"Well well... this is interesting. Nice work kid!" Plagg congratulated him; Adrien seemed less bristled after the praise. "So. What's the plan? What's the verdict on why we can't use Ladybug and Chat Noir's powers, and what are we going to do about it?"

"Master Fu said that the Kwami spirit inside—or tied-to—the Miraculous is what allows for the transformation. When you are changing into Chat Noir for me, the Miraculous is using _my_ spirit instead of yours. It's dangerous because I'm just a human. Although... if we start talking about the physics of "spirits" powering Magical jewelry, I'm really not sure how a human spirit would differ from a Kwami spirit—it's all just Energy, after all..." 

Plaggdrien stifled a groan, sure that Adrikwami was about to bore him into unconsciousness with scientific theory… 

Adrikwami didn’t even notice the groan. "... but because the Miraculous doesn't ‘ _like_ ’ that, it's not allowing you to remain as Chat Noir. HOWEVER... that's where the other Kwami are going to work in our favor." 

Adrikwami popped the lid on the Miraculous box. There was a glowing globe of green light that dissipated in sparkles, leaving Sass in its wake. 

“Oh for Kami’s sake…” Plaggdrien complained loudly, disgust apparent as he started scowling.

"Ah. Good evening Plagg. I ssssee you're well..." he greeted Plaggdrien cordially, if a little shrewdly.

"If it isn't my dear friend, _Spit_ -for-Brains." Plaggdrien retorted.

Adrikwami's eyes grew two sizes larger... he was suddenly unsure about their decision to team Plagg with Sass. The room had practically frozen over.

"Come now Plagg... it wassss only the one time I accsssidentally bit you; I know the venom took awhile to wear off, but you were fine after a couple of daysss..."

" _Couple of daysss..._ " Plaggdrien mimicked in a very poor, mock-British, accent. "I ALMOST STARVED TO DEATH, do you know what that's like?"

"Technically ssspeaking, Plagg, we Kwami don't even have to eat if we’re not powering any Miraculous. You really wouldn't have ssstarved." Sass sniffed disdainfully.

"Well. Aren't we a _Smart-Asp_..." Plaggdrien bit out; if he had been in cat form, Adrien was sure Plagg would have been hissing right about now…

"SO heyyy guys, yeah um. Great reunion and all! " Adrikwami flew between the sight-lines of the two obviously discontented godlets. "Glad to see you know each other already—fairly well, if I was to be the judge. I'm sure that means it will be easy to work together so we can bring this Akuma down and see everything go back to normal." He added the last, hopefully. 

Plaggdrien reached out—snatching a piece of cheese off the platter—then leaned back against the white couch, popping the delectable morsel into his mouth. His irritation was gone almost instantaneously as he rolled his eyes back, then closed them. He let out a groan of appreciation that bordered on obscenity. Adrikwami pulled an appalled face.

"Ssso, young Chat Noir," Sass began, clearly trying to eliminate the audience that Plaggdrien thought he'd gained, "I will take a few momentsss to run over the basssics of what we hope to do. I am sssure Plagg isss fully capable of following along. We've known eachother long enough now that he knowsss my abilitiesss. Once we are done discussssing, I think it will be time to leave our trussst in Tikki... and Plagg.”

Sass took a deep breath before mumbling... “Kami, help usss all."

**\-------------------------------------**

Nathalie had left Adrien's room and immediately walked down the main hallway of the Agreste mansion. She carefully navigated the steps down to the first floor while still flicking through the next week's schedule, debating on what should or shouldn't be moved at this point. There was no update since the last Akuma interview, and she had the worst sense of foreboding over this latest development.

To say Adrien was acting odd was an understatement. If she didn't know better, she'd think something weird had happened to him too with this latest Akuma. Was it possible he'd been influenced while he was out on his school trip this morning? It didn’t seem likely; surely Hawkmoth would notice his own son. She decided it was a likely case of teen-itis, and he was just testing boundaries. She made a mental note to address it for another time that wasn't so pressing.

Her clicking heels came to a stop in front of the holding cell that ‘Nooroo’ was in. The hall to reach it was long and dark... and no sound could be heard beyond the door that hid the hallway. 

"Nooroo.." she greeted sedately.

"Hello, Nathalie..." was his weak sounding answer. It was jarring to hear such a timid reply coming from the tall, powerful body of Gabriel.

“You need to fix this.” She said to him, peering down her nose and over her half moon spectacles to where he was sitting. 

“I’m not sure what you are expecting from me... I didn’t make this Akuma...” he said deflecting blame from the situation. 

“Don’t get clever,” she replied. “You know more than you’re letting on. If I find out—“ 

“Ugggghh!!!” He cried out suddenly, slumping against the barred wall beside the entrance. 

“Gab—Nooroo??” She reached a hand out but he didn’t answer her. Panicked, she fumbled while entering the code on the wall panel until the light glowed green and the lock released. She yanked open the door, and rushed inside, crouching down next to him. 

“What is it?? Are you hurt?” She asked pulling his face up so she could see it clearly. He smiled widely as his hand reached behind her to grab the bars of the door... slamming it shut, trapping her inside with him.


	8. Chapter 8

Marikwami discussed the plan as much as possible with Tikkinette and Trixx, hoping to leave nothing more than absolutely necessary to chance. The plan was simple, but considering what was at stake, there was a lot that could go wrong if they weren't careful. 

Tikkinette nervously played with the necklace draped around her neck, the feeling a literal reminder of the weight she had on her shoulders. She was cautiously optimistic—once again, her holder had been instrumental in laying the groundwork for this plan. Bouncing off a few of Trixx's suggestions, they were going to make sure to give Equalizer a run for her money. The end result would set everything back the way it should be, as long as their plan held together. It had been a long day already, and though she was dreading being face to face with the Akuma, Tikkinette was ready to go back to eating cookies and sleeping in purses. 

"I think we're about good on the planning front... but we still have to get out of here without my parents being any wiser." Marikwami floated back and forth as if she was pacing her small room. 

"You can count on me—I got this, Marinette." Tikkinette had a determined look in her eye before she stalked over to the trap door and yanked it up. "MOTHERRRR FATHERRRRR I'M GOING TO TAKE A NAP NOW! I WILL COME DOWN WHEN IT'S TIME FOR SUPPERRRRRR!!!" she yelled, scaring both Trixx and Marikwami into hiding. 

"Uhhhh, okay honey!!" called Sabine from downstairs. "Have a nice rest!"

She closed the trap door, face alight with the triumphant smile she wore. "This Akuma's gonna be a piece of cake! If I can fool parents THIS easily, I'm going to wipe the floor with Equalizer!" Marikwami and Trixx just stared at her blankly; Tikkinette didn't even notice in her eagerness. 

"Ready? Marinette... Trixx?" Tikkinette waited two beats before calling on her transformations. "Spots On, Let's Pounce!" 

She felt the Miraculous magic encompass and transform her for the second time... it was nothing short of electrifying. She ran to the mirror to see what the new combination transformation would look like.

Tikkinette couldn't believe her eyes at what a difference this suit was. Her jaw dropped as she viewed herself. This was _way_ more like something she'd expect from Marinette’s fashion oriented mind. Instead of straight red, this suit had gradients of color, creating an eye-catching ombre of red that faded to burnt orange, and finally ended with white. The long coat had several panels of fabric, reminiscent of fox tails. Her signature Ladybug spots were all over the body, save for the white portions of the costume that were meant to look like the tips of tails.

  


' _Marinette's_ ' signature pigtails were instead high on her head, but her dark hair was considerably longer and streaked with red and orange. Like the rest of the costume, her hair was brightly colored and ended with bleached white tips. Two black ribbons erupted from the ponytails, looking somewhat like antennae, and she sported the same ears that Rena normally did. Her Mask was solid red down the center of her nose, but faded and gradually shifted to orange at the outer corners of her eyes; the same 5 black dots she normally carried as Ladybug were splattered across the mask. 

The most Miraculous thing about the change, though, was that _none_ of the jewelry powering the transformation was beeping. She took a deep breath and let it out as a relieved sigh. The first part of their plan was working, at least.

**\-------------------------------------**

Adrikwami sat up in alarm—hissing due to the sudden startle he'd had—and looked frantically around the room. "What is that noise? That ringing noise?"

Sass just looked from him, then to Plaggdrien before replying. "I hear nothing Chat Noir..." he supplied. 

Plaggdrien looked over to Adrikwami, confused for a moment, but then a small smile came across the corners of his mouth. "What noise, kid? Are you hearing things?"

Adrikwami just continued to look baffled...

Plaggdrien grabbed some more cheese off the plate he'd been nursing since he'd come home. Then, he chuckled... mischief clear in his expression. "That's probably just the communicator. Ladybug and the other Kwami must be trying to reach us with further instructions."

"They're calling? Right now? Answer it!" Adrikwami demanded, staring up imploringly at Plagg with his large, green kitten eyes.

"Gee, I'd love to but I'm not transformed at the moment..." 

"PLAGG!!"

"Okay okay... " he turned to face Sass. "You ready for duty, your royal litheness?"

"Oh jusssst hurry it up, I want to go home..." Sass spat out, crossly. 

"I've been waiting for this all day..." Plaggdrien said gleefully, turning a lazy gaze towards his charge. "How did you like being sucked into jewelry earlier, by the way?" Plaggdrien grinned mockingly at Adrikwami, and—before there was any response—punched a hand out into the air dramatically. "Adrien! CLAWS OUT—let's slide!" 

Adrikwami was sucked into the ring within milliseconds; Sass into the bangle hanging around Plaggdrien's other wrist. Bright neon and dark forest green combined in a swirl of color that resulted in a bright burst of light... and the modified outfit of one 'Snake Noir'. 

Like the regular Chat Noir costume, the majority of it was black. However, this costume concealed his signature wild, blond hairstyle behind a hood that wrapped partially across his face, leaving just his mouth and the tip of his nose as the only area of visible skin. Teal green accented several areas of the suit, including: his chest—which was patterned in sections from his navel up his chest to resemble a rising cobra; his face—which accented the same area his Chat mask normally would, but additionally bore two small faux-fangs under each eye; and the tip of his tail—which now had teal green rings at the tip like a rattlesnake. At his hip was a small lyre of the same coloring.

Snake Noir reached behind his back to lift his baton, then pushed it open to silence the ring that now echoed off the walls. "I feel like I should be playing hard to get, or you'll get the wrong idea, Muffin," he grinned widely, to his partner on the other side of the screen. "I like your new look!"

She rolled her eyes. "Yeah yeah, alright alright. I'll meet you at the school, ok? Then we can head over to the hotel and end this catastrophic day..." 

Tikki's words stung just a little, and he immediately suspected that Chat must feel this way a lot when Ladybug talked to him. He'd really been enjoying the change of pace; being able to openly approach Tikki after all these months. Even though they'd not been entirely 'themselves', today had been such a breath of fresh air. Plagg normally did a good job of putting on a show that he only cared about cheese, but he really _did_ cherish every moment he got to spend alongside his soulmate. 

He let out a sigh before pasting a patient smile on his currently model-esque features. "Yeah. Can't wait for things to go back to normal around here," he lied. 

Although she noticed the disingenuous look on his face, she mistook it for concern over their upcoming fight and took the opportunity to confide in him. "Plagg, I'm scared. I know you told me they've never let us down before, but it's not them I'm worried about. I'm worried about us. They're counting on us now, to be... wait, who are we even right now?" Tikkinette blinked in confusion.

"I think you're probably ‘Lady Rouge’? And I'm... ‘Snake Noir’..." he answered, before returning to the topic at hand. "Really though, Lovebug, you worry too much. You're the _embodiment_ of creation. Right now, we need to _create_ a scenario where we can win. If anybody can do that, it's you. So this fight will be the least of our actual worries."

He hesitated for a moment before adding, "I will say it again though... I _wish_ you would see my side of things. Our time together today was pretty stellar..." an unrepentant grin took over his face as he waggled his eyebrows.

She just sighed heavily on her side of the communicator. "I get it. Truly. But today, all it would have taken is one of us being targeted and compelled to share our deepest secrets. If Equalizer had asked for information, I am not sure what would have happened! That could have been disastrous for both of them... for us. We have a duty. And so, we have to wait."

"So let's go over the plan..." Snake Noir abruptly switched gears. He knew her well enough to know that the conversation was over.

**\-------------------------------------**

The newly minted superheroes met up in a low crouch on the school roof of Francois Dupont before launching what they hoped would be an attack to end the reign of compulsion led by Equalizer.

Lady Rouge lifted a long flute to her lips, quickly spinning once as she piped out a chipper tune. Beside her, a carbon copy of Paris' beloved heroes Ladybug and Chat Noir appeared. She looked pleased with herself momentarily before she took a deep breath, spun her yo-yo into the air above her head, and shouted "LUCKY CHARM!!!"

... a long pool noodle landed in her waiting hands. Her eye twitched, and Snake Noir tried not to laugh.

"... now I know what Ladybug feels like..." she sighed, without a clue about how she'd be able to use something so flimsy as a pool noodle against a ray gun.

Snake Noir closed his eyes, summoning a specific feeling into his mind; clearing his throat, he began to pluck the strings of his lyre quickly and rhythmically. The nasally edge that had somewhat taken over Adrien's voice was suddenly gone as a dulcet melody arose; there was a surprisingly steady quality and tone to his voice. He sang…

_"Powers be, oh obfuscate..._

_Help me with a change of state._

_Muddled mind,_

_Eyes are blind,_

_Discernment now will abdicate..."_

He finished with a flourish of his hand as he strummed downward dramatically. A small whirlwind of sparkles seemed to fly from his fingers—settling on their suits like glistening glitter—before swirling up and around their bodies. When finished, they were hidden from the outside world. The two could clearly see one another, but when they looked into the reflection of the nearby window, they saw nothing.

Snake Noir's face split into a broad grin. "Not too bad, huh Sugarbiscuit? ...maybe I can forgive Sass after all." 

"I guess you _can_ teach an old cat new tricks," she commended him. "Let's make this quick... for Paris's sake. We probably only have one shot, and we don't have much time!" 

Lady Rouge tucked the pool noodle under one arm, and then looked at all three of her creations. The doppelgängers nodded, then leapt off of the building edge, racing towards the rooftop of le Grand Paris... the two ancient gods hot on their heels.


	9. Chapter 9

Equalizer was laid out on a pool lounging chair in the hot sun, despite still wearing her long, black pant suit with colossal shoulder pads. Two police guards yanked out their billy clubs and raised their riot shields as soon as Ladybug and Chat Noir landed before them.

"Looks like someone already called the fashion police... thanks for saving me the trouble!" The Chat Noir illusion bore an uncanny resemblance in mannerisms as well looks—he twirled his baton into a ready stance in front of her.

She sat bolt upright. "Ladybug! Chat Noir! So nice of you to drop in.... and thank YOU for meeting me here and saving ME the trouble of finding you. Let's make this quick, shall we? I'm sure you have other things to be doing this evening."

"Oh, we'll certainly make this quick!" Ladybug spat out, yo-yo spinning rapidly in defense before her.

Equalizer hopped up, bag already on her shoulder. Her stance was ramrod straight and much more menacing than it had been earlier in the day, but her tone of voice was still airy and light. "Pierre? Charles? You can leave this to me." she said to her police escort. The two men visibly relaxed and their stance returned to neutral.

Silently, Lady Rouge and Snake Noir had landed to the rear of the showdown, and were trying to angle themselves to avoid any poolside equipment. They approached Equalizer carefully from behind; they needed her to reach into her bag and remove the ray gun before she could engage the illusions.

The ancient gods pulled out their weapons—Snake Noir slightly extended his baton and Lady Rouge held her yoyo at the ready—when Equalizer slowly reached for her gun. She was clearly trying to appear unthreatening to the illusions of Ladybug and Chat Noir as she continued talking to them.

"I wanted you to see reason. Didn't you see my interview today? I really don't think we have any reason to fight. We're on the same side. I even got rid of Hawkmoth for now," she added with a careful smile.

Lady Rouge pondered that statement for a moment, but didn't have any time to really think about it before the conversation continued.

"This isn't about Hawkmoth, it's about YOU. We _all_ want the world to be a better place, but what makes you think you can decide what that means for everyone? Why are you doing this?" Ladybug asked her, still hunched in a defensive position.

"When you're a parent, you'll understand the depths of love and what it can make you do." she said with a steely voice. "Really, you can justify doing almost anything for the people you love... for your family. But... it's almost time to pick up August from daycare, so I really don't have any more time to waste. Let's end this, shall we?" She swiftly reached for her ray gun, and the illusions dove in opposite directions from one another.

Equalizer decided that the easiest target would be the Chat, so she rapid-fired after the shadow-like figure while he bounded across the rooftop on all fours. The illusion was circling around towards where Snake Noir was _actually_ hidden, putting him directly in the line of fire.

...Plagg had been wondering how long it would take for that bad luck of his to rear its ugly head…

Lady Rouge openly gaped, anticipating the disaster before it had a chance to play out; the mirages started losing some of their permanence as her concentration waned.

With no other option, Snake Noir extended his baton in an attempt to raise himself into the air and out of the path of the wildly firing weapon; his foot haplessly caught the edge of a pool umbrella, yanking it up, and knocking the table it was attached to over.

The act of knocking into the table shattered the magic protecting him, leaving Snake Noir exposed, vulnerable, and highly visible. The illusions of Chat Noir and Ladybug dissipated like black vapor under Lady Rouge’s panic. 

Equalizer gasped... her shock turning to delight at the sight of the hero in black stuck at the top of his extended baton. "OH this is precious!!" she cried out... a mad cackle escaping as she took aim above her.

A muffled _thwack_ sounded—the pool noodle that had been smacked into Equalizer’s face rendered Lady Rouge and the lucky charm visible. Although she had pulled the trigger, the beam from Equalizer’s gun missed Snake Noir… if only by mere centimeters. Struggling to remove the offending item from her face, Equalizer flung it angrily aside but the spotted hero's other arm was already acting of its own accord. The yo-yo's aim was true, wrapping around the gun and yanking it away from the dazed Akuma. 

The ray gun cracked into several large pieces, and a small purple butterfly emerged from the fragments. Lady Rouge’s body shook; adrenaline rushed through her veins alongside relief from keeping her partner out of danger. Dark purple and black bubbled around Equalizer and she collapsed to the pool deck, freed of the dark force that had overtaken her in despair.

"Did she hit you??" concern took over as Lady Rouge called out, taking a few hurried steps towards Snake Noir.

"TEEK—THE BUTTERFLY!!" he cried out from his perch atop the long baton.

Coming to her senses, Lady Rouge whipped around to find her target then reeled the yo-yo in before starting it into a mad spin. She flicked her wrist, sending the yo-yo hurtling towards the retreating purple butterfly at a pace it could never escape. The magic performed dutifully and the Akuma was captured inside with a tidy clicking sound. "Caught you!" she cooed, before opening the yo-yo for the purified white butterfly to flutter away.

The bright red and spotted pool noodle caught her eye, and Lady Rouge reached down to her ankles to snatch it up. “Miraculous LADYBUG!!!" she shouted loudly, attempting to throw the foam into the air; it didn't get far, but it still exploded into a flutter of ladybugs that swirled over the pool deck, around the former Akuma and police officers, and through the streets of Paris.

Lady Rouge and Snake Noir were suddenly overcome by a strong wave of disorientation and vertigo; Lady Rouge stumbled to crouching on the ground; gravity overwhelmed Snake Noir, and he lurched forward... solidly belly flopping into the pool. With a gasp, both Marinette and Adrien were returned to their super hero bodies.

Adrien—Snake Noir—came around as soon as the splash hit him... flailing, then grabbing onto a lonely unicorn floatation device in the wake of being unceremoniously dumped into a pool of water. He sputtered, then clawed his way to the edge of the pool, while Marinette—Lady Rouge—looked around, wide-eyed, until she spotted him. 

"Chat Noir!” she sounded horrified, and she scrambled to the side of the pool to help him out. She tugged on his arm as he emerged, dripping, and helped him to stand.

"Wh... where am I?" said the confused woman from where she sat on the ground.

"Pound it!" Snake Noir said, holding out his fist to Lady Rouge. Instead, she dove against him and gave him a big hug. "They did it— _WE_... did it..." she whispered quietly into his shoulder. 

Snake Noir wrapped an arm around her waist to return the hug. After a moment, she realized she was now soaked as well from their embrace, and began to chuckle. They finally looked over to the woman formerly known as Equalizer.

"What did I do...?" She asked them as Lady Rouge helped her to her feet.

"Nothing too terrible..." Lady Rouge replied, before adding "...your heart was in the right place." Lady Rouge patted her gently on the shoulder, noticing for the first time that her Miraculous jewelry was subtly beeping at her.

"Justine...?" One of the two armored guards called, and walked over to where the confused woman was standing.

Her jaw visibly tightened. "...Charles…?"

"I... wanted to apologize for earlier. The lawyers... I.." He reached back to scratch the back of his neck. "...I was wrong to do that—to say those things about you… to file that paperwork. I never should have threatened to file for sole custody of August. I was trying to prove a point... I guess the joke's on me."

Her expression softened a little bit.

Charles continued, "I think there was some good that came out of this situation though... I got to really understand what you are feeling right now. And... I don't know how to tell you how sorry I am. Can... can we go pick up August, together, and then go somewhere to talk about this?" He looked up at her hopefully.

"Sure. I think we can manage to do that." Justine turned to look at the Parisian super heroes with an apologetic look. "I really am sorry about any trouble I caused today."

"We're just glad you seem to be on the road to a happy ending." Snake Noir saluted, his Miraculous loudly sounding as he did so. "Speaking of ' _on the road_ '... shall we, m'lady?"

**\-------------------------------------**

Gabriel was sitting on the cold floor of the cell that Nathalie had put ‘ _him_ ’ in earlier—back when his body had been inhabited by his troublesome Kwami. In a chair beside him sat his loyal assistant, looking almost grief stricken. He hadn't anticipated being returned to his body only to find himself locked in the holding cell with her. 

There was food... there was water... there was even cellular reception, and Nathalie still had her tablet. What wasn't there was Nooroo, or the Miraculous brooch he was typically associated with.

"... I can't believe you fell for the oldest trick in the book..." Gabriel muttered, running his slender fingers through his platinum hair.

"... I have no excuse, sir." Nathalie said quietly in response.

They weren't sure how long they would (or could) stay down there; they really didn't have many options that boded well. Calling anyone to come release them would lead to several conversations he wasn’t sure he could handle at present, least of all being the conversation about why his wife, who had been declared missing, was in a glass coffin in his ‘cellar’. He would have been proud of how his Kwami had been so underhanded, had it not resulted in him being stuck in a cage of his own doing.

"Nathalie?" he said, slowly turning his face to look at her.

"Yes, sir?"

"Please text message Adrien and let him know we had some urgent business to take care of. He is free to spend the rest of the evening as he sees fit, while we… figure this out..."

"Yes sir. Right away."

**\-------------------------------------**

Adrien was collapsed on the bed in his room. Sass and Plagg were happily eating after the fight they'd managed to win (together, no less). He stared at the message on his phone in disbelief for a moment, before letting his arm fall uselessly beside him. Nathalie had told him to go out and have fun with his friends—which _never_ happened—but after today, he was glad for the opportunity. It was just too bad his friends probably wouldn't be able to do anything on such short notice.

Just then his phone chimed. Lifting his arm, he quickly read the text from Nino.

_**Nino Bro: Hey, are we still on for tonight?**_

Adrien looked at the message, reading it over a few times. He was puzzled until he remembered this morning. He sat up, leaning on one elbow and turned in his Kwami's direction. "Hey, Plagg? Do you know anything about this? Nino is asking if I want to do something?" 

"Oh yeah... Red and Pigtails want to go to a movie with you and your buddy." he replied lazily from the plate of cheese he was laying on. Sass chuckled; a repetative hssss hssss hsssss sound.

**\-------------------------------------**

"YOU WHAT!!!?" Marinette screeched, eyes as wide as saucers when Tikki had come clean about the classmate's earlier discussion. Trixx dove behind the stuffed cat on Marinette's bed, while Tikki visibly winced.

"I'm sorry Marinette, it sort of just happened. You know how Alya gets and well... you _did_ tell me to make them believe I was you, right?" The bright red Kwami looked almost ashamed of herself. "I figure if the opportunity presented itself, you would more than likely accept. Alya _did_ sort of brow-beat me into it though.” Tikki visibly winced. “I _really_ didn't want to make any plans for you. Maybe you can call her and tell her you're not feeling well?"

**\-------------------------------------**

"But if I tell them I'm not feeling well, especially after what you said I did earlier, it wouldn't look good. I also wouldn't want to disappoint Marinette or make her the third wheel… she’s such a good friend to me..." Adrien sighed dramatically.

"Plus, when do you think you'll have another night off like this randomly?" Plagg supplied, ripping into the American Camembert and shoving it into his gluttonous mouth. "Things work out for a reason, you know..." Plagg said sagely, mouth filled with cheese but still able to enunciate clearly.

"...is this what you meant when you said you'd pay me back?" Adrien asked, eyes narrowed suspiciously.

"Are we stilllll on that booooring subject of whom owes money to whom for cheese? This is a golden opportunity for you, kid. Trust me. There's more to Pigtails than you give her credit for. I have a feeling this really will all work out."

**\-------------------------------------**

The four friends met for the movie that night, and Plagg was right; Adrien and Marinette really did have a good evening together. She seemed to be comfortable enough around him to have easy, flowing conversations, and he marveled at how lovely her laugh was. It was the first time in a long while that Adrien hadn't absently been wishing for the company of his Lady.

Tikki and Plagg took the opportunity to sneak out and away from their holders to enjoy more of one another's company while the "un-date" went on. They snuggled together in the upper back corner of the theatre, where they had a good view of the movie as well as the theatre goers below. Plagg was happily purring beside his better half... he sighed contentedly.

"This is the life. It really doesn't get much better than this," he said as he nuzzled into her cheek. 

Tikki grinned.

"You're such a softy!" she giggled. "But you're right, this was a great idea. I really didn't want you to interfere with their dating lives—they have to be free to make their own decisions, after all. But, by the same token... I'm glad you did." Tikki leaned over and pressed a small kiss against his furry cheek.

"So… how long do you think it'll take for them to figure it out?" he asked her, suddenly much more serious.

"That they're partners? Or that they're meant to be together..." Tikki peered down into the theatre at them.

"Yes." Plagg deadpanned. Tikki elbowed him.

"Well. I think the Miraculous magic will protect them from figuring it out for awhile yet. There _is_ a certain element of willingness that has to be met also... she has to genuinely be okay with him finding out that she’s Ladybug for any of that Miraculous glamor to ease up. But, they really would make a cute couple, wouldn't they?"

"Mmm..." Plagg grunted noncommittally. "I was actually _more_ interested in those cheese danishes her parents make then ‘if they make a cute couple’. Even if they don't end up together, do you think we can somehow convince Adrien to go over there for more of those…? Or maybe they'd be nice enough to teach him how to make them?" Tikki gave him a small shove, and giggled under her breath.

Some things would never change.

***FIN***

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Well that's all she wrote folks! I hope you enjoyed my first (probably only) story hahaha. I will leave it up to you to decide what happens to Hawkmoth =3


End file.
